Central Asian Highway Upgrade Cuts Freight Times on China-Europe Corridor

A key road in Uzbekistan’s autonomous republic of Karakalpakstan is being widened to boost cargo movement along a route linking China to Western markets. The A380 highway between Nukus and Urgench is being expanded from two to four lanes over a 25-kilometre section. Construction is nearly 90% finished, with completion expected by late 2026.

The project is valued at $48.7 million (€43.6 million) and forms part of a larger initiative supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Bahodir Boltaboyev, deputy director of the ADB Project Implementation Group, said about three kilometres of concrete surfacing and an overpass remain to be done. The design includes dedicated U-turn overpasses that let vehicles change direction without crossing into oncoming traffic.

Faster journeys, lower costs

Freight operators report major gains from the improvements. Damir Mamutov, general manager of Promizvest Servis, said his company exports to Türkiye, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and other destinations via Karakalpakstan. He noted that trucks used to need 10 to 12 hours for the 240–250 kilometres between Kungrad and Beyneu, but now complete the trip in three to four hours. Mamutov added that vehicles previously required tyre and suspension repairs after just one or two journeys, but such problems have become less frequent since the road was rebuilt.

A separate 240-kilometre stretch of the A380 from Kungrad toward the Kazakh border was finished in 2024. Boltaboyev said daily traffic on the road is expected to rise from 6,000–7,000 vehicles to 14,000–15,000 once reconstruction is done. The wider road programme has a budget of $383.4 million (€343 million), including $274.2 million (€245 million) in ADB loans and $109.2 million (€97.7 million) from the Uzbek government.

The A380 is part of Corridor 2 of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) programme, which unites 11 countries to upgrade transport links and boost trade. Begzod Djalilov, regional cooperation specialist at ADB, said economic corridors also require investment in tourism, agriculture and services to create jobs and expand exports. He acknowledged that border delays still hamper freight, despite better roads. The ADB is working to modernise border crossings, digitise procedures and introduce electronic truck queuing. In August 2026, the bank approved a $400 million (€358 million) regional facility called Border Upgrades for Integration, Logistics, and Development (BUILD) to improve road and rail crossings across the CAREC region.