Almaty - Issyk-Kul Highway. What is the current stage of the project?

As part of the preparation for the construction of the Almaty — Issyk-Kul highway in Kazakhstan, an interagency working group has been formed. This was reported by the resource Tengrinews.kz.

Members of this group include representatives from various government agencies, including the Ministry of National Economy, the Ministry of Ecology, the NPP "Atameken," the Border Service of the National Security Committee, and the Ministry of Transport.

According to information from the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the new road is considered a replacement for the existing route Almaty — Otar — Kordai — Bishkek — Cholpon-Ata, which stretches approximately 460 kilometers. Together with the support of the ADB, a shorter route from Almaty through Uzunagash to Kichi-Kemin has been developed. The preliminary length of this option is 277 kilometers, of which 127 kilometers are in Kazakhstan and 150 kilometers are in the Kyrgyz Republic.
It has been reported that part of the necessary infrastructure is already in place. However, in Kazakhstan, it will be necessary to update about 80 kilometers of road surface, while in Kyrgyzstan, about 6 kilometers.

In December 2024, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan reached an agreement on the need to expedite the preparation of the feasibility study (FS) for the project and to begin joint work on its implementation with the help of the ADB.

As of April 1, 2025, according to the agency, the development of the feasibility study was in progress. The ADB, which provided a grant for the implementation of this stage, was engaged in this work.

The agency clarified that the creation of the feasibility study is ongoing. This document will include data such as the exact route, road category, its length, projected traffic flow, financial indicators, and possible tariffs, as well as take into account the requirements of the legislation of both states.

It is expected that the feasibility study will be completed by September 2026. After that, the parties will make a final decision on the further course of project implementation, including the possibility of attracting private investments through the public-private partnership mechanism.