Tashkent-Samarkand Toll Road Operator to Be Chosen Later

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — The operator of the new Tashkent-Samarkand toll motorway will be selected after construction is completed, Uzbekistan's Transport Minister Ilkhom Makhkamov said in an interview with Uzbekistan 24 TV channel.

According to the minister, the project will be implemented in two stages. Under the first stage, China's China Overseas Engineering Construction (COVEC) will build and complete the motorway. After construction is finished, the authorities plan to bring in a separate partner to operate the road as a toll motorway.

Makhkamov said motorists will continue to have a choice between the existing free road and the new toll motorway once it opens. He added that travel time between Tashkent and Samarkand on the new route is expected to be reduced from about five and a half hours to two hours.

The minister also said that after the completion of the Tashkent-Samarkand project, Uzbekistan plans to build additional toll roads, including the Tashkent-Bostanliq, Tashkent-Ferghana Valley and Tashkent-Andijan routes. Reconstruction of existing roads and construction of new highways are also planned in several regions with the support of international financial institutions.

According to Makhkamov, funding for the road sector over the past 10 years has increased eightfold compared with the previous 27 years. He added that new roads are being built under updated construction codes and standards developed jointly with partners from Turkey and the United States.

Sherzod Boltayev, head of a department at the Committee for Roads, said the new motorway will be 282 kilometers long. Roadside service facilities, including vehicle maintenance stations, are planned along the route.

He said the motorway will be equipped with an intelligent transport system that will provide drivers with timely information about traffic accidents and other situations affecting road safety.

The motorway will begin near Tashkent International Airport, providing direct access toward Gulistan, Jizzakh and Samarkand. At least 50% of the materials used in the project are expected to be domestically produced.

Construction of the six-lane toll motorway, valued at about US$2.2 billion, began on 22 July 2026. The road is scheduled to open in 2030. The project includes the construction of 92 bridges, 28 overpasses and 60 tunnel crossings.