China Overseas Engineering Construction (COVEC) has been selected as the contractor for the construction of a new toll highway connecting Tashkent and Samarkand. This was announced on July 22, 2026, during the project's groundbreaking ceremony.
China Overseas Engineering Construction (COVEC) has been selected as the contractor for the construction of a new toll highway connecting Tashkent and Samarkand. This was announced on July 22, 2026, during the project's groundbreaking ceremony.
Wang Kun, President of China Overseas Engineering Group, thanked the leadership of Uzbekistan for the trust placed in the company. He stated that COVEC intends to implement the project while adhering to labor safety requirements, construction quality, and environmental protection, utilizing modern technologies and green building principles.
According to Wang, the new highway will become one of the most modern infrastructure projects in Eurasia and will significantly enhance the efficiency of Uzbekistan's transport and logistics system. He also mentioned that President Shavkat Mirziyoyev provided the company with several instructions during the project presentation, the details of which were not disclosed.
According to an official statement, four Chinese companies participated in the project: China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC), China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), China Overseas Engineering Construction (COVEC), and China Railway 20th Bureau Group (CRCC). COVEC was chosen after the completion of the evaluation process. Previously, a tender winner was reported, but their name was not officially disclosed.
The construction of the Tashkent-Samarkand toll highway, estimated to cost approximately 2.2 billion US dollars, began on July 22, 2026. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev laid the cornerstone of the project in the Urtachirchik district of Tashkent region.
This six-lane road, spanning 282 kilometers, will connect the regions of Tashkent, Syrdarya, Jizzakh, and Samarkand. The project includes the construction of 92 bridges, 28 overpasses, and 60 tunnel passages. The highway is planned to be completed by 2030. The maximum speed on straight sections is expected to reach up to 150 km/h.
Upon completion, the highway is expected to reduce travel time between Tashkent and Samarkand from five hours to two and a half hours, increase capacity to 60,000–80,000 vehicles daily, and lower freight transportation costs by 20–24%.
According to preliminary project parameters, about 85% of the costs are planned to be covered by loans from Chinese banks, with the remaining portion financed from the state budget of Uzbekistan. Tariffs for the new road will be determined after negotiations with investors, taking into account the financial capacity of the population.
Uzbekistan's Minister of Transport, Ilhom Makhamov, stated in an interview with the channel Uzbekistan 24 TV that the operator of the new toll highway connecting Tashkent and Samarkand will only be appointed after construction is fully completed.
According to the minister, the implementation of this project will proceed in two stages. The first stage will be handled by the Chinese company China Overseas Engineering Construction (COVEC), which will be responsible for building and completing the highway. After the completion of the work, authorities plan to engage a separate partner for operating the road as a toll route.
Makhamov specified that after the new highway opens, drivers will retain the option to choose between the existing free road and the new toll route. It is expected that the travel time between Tashkent and Samarkand via the new route will be reduced from approximately five and a half hours to two hours.
Furthermore, the minister announced that after the Tashkent-Samarkand project is finished, Uzbekistan intends to build additional toll roads. These include the Tashkent-Bostanliq, Tashkent-Fergana, and Tashkent-Andijan routes. Reconstruction of existing roads and construction of new highways in several regions are also planned with the support of international financial institutions.
According to Makhamov, over the last ten years, funding for the road sector has increased eightfold compared to the previous twenty-seven years. He added that the new roads are being built using updated construction norms and standards developed jointly with partners from Turkey and the United States.
Sherzod Boltayev, head of the Roads Committee Department, noted that the new 282-kilometer highway will be equipped with services along the route, including vehicle maintenance stations. It will also feature an intelligent transport system that will promptly inform drivers about road incidents and other factors affecting traffic safety.
The highway will start near Tashkent International Airport, providing direct access to Gulistan, Jizzakh, and Samarkand. It is expected that at least 50% of the materials used in the project will be produced domestically. Construction of the six-lane toll highway, estimated to cost approximately 2.2 billion US dollars, began on July 22, 2026, with an opening scheduled for 2030. The project includes the construction of 92 bridges, 28 overpasses, and 60 tunnel passages.
