Shavkat Mirziyoyev launched construction of the new Tashkent–Samarkand toll motorway in the Urtachirchik district on 22 July, the presidential press service reported.
The motorway will run for 282 km and is estimated to cost about $2.2 billion. The project provides for six traffic lanes.
The road is planned with a monolithic concrete surface. It will include 92 bridges, 28 overpasses and 60 tunnel-type crossings, while the permitted speed on straight sections is expected to reach 150 km/h.
Once completed, the authorities estimate that travel time between Tashkent and Samarkand will fall from five hours to 2.5 hours. Capacity is projected at 60,000–80,000 vehicles per day.
Smoother traffic flow is expected to reduce fuel use and vehicle maintenance costs. Freight transport costs on the route are projected to fall by 19–24%.
The motorway is scheduled to be commissioned in 2030. The timetable, capacity and economic impact remain project estimates.
