The reopening will allow freight trucks to resume crossing through the checkpoint, the Customs Committee said.
Freight traffic will also begin passing through the Navoi border crossing. The measures are intended to ease pressure on other crossings and reduce queues near the Yallama checkpoint.
More than 9,200 trucks passed through the Syrdarya crossing in September, averaging roughly one truck every four minutes. Freight traffic through the checkpoint has increased by 10% over the past year.
To redistribute the flow, the Malik–Syrdarya and Ok Oltin–Tselinny crossings are planned to operate around the clock and receive international status. The move is expected to reduce the workload at the Yallama and Syrdarya crossings by up to 30%.
Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have agreed to expand round-the-clock operations at the two crossings as part of efforts to reduce congestion along the border.
The Gishtkuprik checkpoint, also known as Chernyaevka, was closed for reconstruction on February 5, 2025. The project was initially expected to take four months and included the temporary dismantling of buildings, landscaping and the development of infrastructure in the surrounding area.
The reason for the delay has not been disclosed.
In April, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin said the Gishtkuprik crossing on the Uzbek side and Zhibek Zholy on the Kazakh side were expected to resume operations in September. The reopening, however, has since been pushed back to the end of 2026.
