ASTANA, Kazakhstan, June 14. Construction has officially begun on Kazakhstan’s new Center–West highway corridor, a key infrastructure project aimed at enhancing domestic connectivity and boosting the country’s transit potential via the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), Trend reports.
Work on the project commenced simultaneously in the city of Arkalyk and the village of Torgai in the Zhanakeldin district of Kostanay Region. The corridor will span 865 kilometers along the route “Astana – Zhanteke – Yegindikol – Arkalyk – Torgai – Yrgyz,” creating a direct road link between Kazakhstan’s central and western regions.
The project is being implemented under the directive of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and forms part of the government’s broader efforts to modernize transport infrastructure and strengthen Kazakhstan’s position as a transit hub in Eurasia.
Once completed, the new route is expected to reduce the travel distance between Astana and the village of Yrgyz by 573 kilometers, significantly improving efficiency for cargo and passenger transport.
Environmental considerations have been integrated into the project. In areas where saiga antelope migration routes intersect the road, the cross-sectional design has been modified to minimize barriers and allow for safe wildlife crossings.
TITR, or the Middle Corridor, is a major transcontinental trade route that links China to Europe through Central Asia, the Caspian Sea, the South Caucasus, and Türkiye. The corridor offers an alternative to traditional northern routes, gaining increased geopolitical importance in recent years amid shifting global trade dynamics.