The proposed cement-concrete road was among the major infrastructure initiatives presented at a meeting chaired by the president. His press secretary, Sherzod Asadov, said officials had been instructed to finalize the highway’s master plan and begin negotiations with potential partners.
The plans also envisage a new railway line to accommodate high-speed trains between the two cities, potentially transforming transport links along one of Uzbekistan’s key domestic routes.
“We have come with new initiatives worth $30 billion that will bring positive changes to Bukhara’s economy and people’s daily lives,” Mirziyoyev said.
Several other road projects are planned for the region. Reconstruction of the A-380 highway, which runs through Bukhara region, is due to be completed in 2026, while work on a 69-kilometer section of the M-37 highway is scheduled to begin in 2027.
The latter project, estimated at $200 million, will also include a 4.5-kilometer bypass around Bukhara city.
The meeting also focused on improving access to drinking water and expanding the region’s sewerage network. A $385 million project is already under way with support from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), while another $248 million is expected to be secured for its second phase.
Once implemented, the projects are expected to improve drinking water supply for 1.7 million people and connect 775,000 residents to centralized sewerage services. The proportion of the region’s population with access to centralized drinking water is projected to increase from 80% to 95%.
Mirziyoyev said residents had been waiting for improvements to water infrastructure and called on officials to speed up the implementation of the projects.
