The construction of three tunnels of the Kyrgyzstan rail section on the China – Kyrgyzstan – Uzbekistan (CKU) railway corridor officially started on April 29.
Naryn No. 1, Fergana Mountain, and Koshtube are the three tunnels, with China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) responsible for the latter two.
Under the project, CRCC is responsible for the construction of Fergana Range and Koshtobe tunnels, which are essential component of the Kyrgyzstan rail section.
Over the past three decades, CRCC has completed comprehensive work including specialised research, preliminary feasibility studies, feasibility studies, and initial design phases. The tunnels that have begun construction face massive challenges as they are constructed at high altitude, extreme cold, high seismic risk, and high ground stress. These factors, combined with complex geological settings and difficult access to transport, make construction particularly challenging. To address these obstacles, CRCC has deployed its construction teams and state-of-the-art engineering equipment to the site. The company has meticulously developed construction plans and strategically allocated resources to ensure the project gets off to a strong start.
The railway corridor starts in Kashi in Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, crosses the Torugart Pass into Kyrgyzstan, then proceeds westward through the Kyrgyz border city of Jalalabad, and reaches the eastern Uzbek city of Andijan.
The new railway is 523 km long of which 213 km in China and 50 km in Uzbekistan, while in Kyrgyzstan the line has a length of 206 km and involves the construction of at least 50 tunnels and 90 bridges.
In June 2024, officials from Kyrgyzstan, China, and Uzbekistan, have signed an agreement to start the construction of the China – Kyrgyzstan – Uzbekistan line estimated at USD 8 billion.
The railway corridor is a landmark project of the Belt and Road initiative to strengthen trade and cooperation promoted by the heads of state of the three countries. Once completed, the rail corridor will significantly boost regional economic and social development while enhancing infrastructure connectivity and facilitating trade relationships among countries along the route.
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