Hong Kong Banks Assessed for Financing Tashkent–Samarkand Highway

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On August 28, Uzbekistan's Minister of Transport Ilkhom Makhkamov held talks with Nicholas Ho Lik-chi, Commissioner for the Belt and Road Initiative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, to discuss the possibility of Hong Kong banks participating in the financing of the Tashkent–Samarkand toll highway project. Ho stated that the highway project is a priority among the project portfolio currently under review by the Hong Kong side. The parties agreed to continue detailed project development work; specific banks involved in financing, financing amounts, or agreement signing arrangements have not yet been disclosed.

Construction of the new Tashkent–Samarkand highway was officially launched on July 22. According to the project plan published by the Presidential Administration of Uzbekistan, the highway spans 282 kilometers with six lanes in both directions, with a total investment of approximately $2.2 billion, passing through 13 districts across four regions: Tashkent, Sirdaryo, Jizzakh, and Samarkand. The project plans to implement the first phase of construction with Chinese partners under the EPC model, with operations targeted to commence by 2030.

The scope of works includes 92 bridges, 28 overpasses, and 60 tunnel-type passages, along with agricultural underpasses and drainage facilities. The road will feature monolithic concrete pavement, with a design speed of up to 150 km/h on flat sections; the designed traffic capacity upon completion is expected to reach 60,000 to 80,000 vehicles per day.

The project adopts a phased model of construction and toll operation. The first phase covers highway construction, after which an operating mechanism will be introduced to manage road administration, maintenance, and operations. According to previously published plans by the Uzbek side, once the new highway is in service, travel time between Tashkent and Samarkand is expected to be reduced from approximately 5 hours to 2.5 hours.

This financing discussion is one of the transport infrastructure cooperation matters being advanced between the two sides following the visit of Uzbekistan's Prime Minister and his delegation to Hong Kong in May. During the August 28 talks, the parties also discussed an intergovernmental air services agreement between Uzbekistan and Hong Kong and the launch of direct flight routes, though these matters remain at the consultation stage.