EBRD Supports Strategic Road Modernization
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will provide a loan of up to 230 million euros (US$262.3 million equivalent in Japanese yen) to support the modernization of a key highway section in western Kazakhstan, reinforcing the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor).
The financing will enable Kazakhstan’s national road operator, QazAutoZhol, to complete the reconstruction of a 234-kilometer road section between Aktobe and Ulgaisyn. The loan represents the second phase of the EBRD’s financing package for the project, following initial funding provided in 2025, and is co-financed by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
The project предусматривает upgrading the existing Category II single-carriageway road into a Category I dual-carriageway highway. The route forms part of the Western Europe–Western China Corridor, CAREC Corridor 1 and European Route E38, strengthening Kazakhstan’s position as a key transport and logistics hub linking Europe and Asia.
The upgraded highway will be equipped with intelligent transport systems, including electronic toll collection, weigh-in-motion sensors and weather-monitoring technologies to improve road safety, traffic management and operational efficiency.
As part of broader cooperation, Kazakhstan’s Transport Ministry and the EBRD also agreed to advance the digitalization of the road sector through the E-Joldar road asset management platform and the deployment of intelligent road management solutions.
To date, the EBRD has invested nearly US$12.8 billion in Kazakhstan through 354 projects, making the country the bank’s largest and longest-standing investment destination in Central Asia.
Photo credit: EBRD
