BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 15. EBRD (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development) is expecting substantial progress on the construction of Obigarm-Nurobod road in Tajikistan in 2023, a source at the EBRD told Trend.
The Obigarm-Nurobod road project entails construction of a new road as an alternative to the existing M41 highway in Tajikistan. This new road will connect the northeast region of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.
Tajikistan needs this alternative, because the current route will be flooded once the reservoir of the Rogun Hydropower Plant (HPP) in Tajikistan (which is under construction at the moment) is filled to operating levels.
The source said that, the EBRD co-invested in the construction of the new road, along with three other international financial institution partners. The decision was based on the findings of their "Assessment of Risk to Transport Infrastructure of Climate Change in Central Asia."
The study highlighted significant climate change-related risks in the region and provided recommendations to ensure the road's climate resilience. The Ministry of Transport (MoT) of Tajikistan agreed to incorporate these recommendations into the project.
"We had a productive 2021 with the MoT being particularly effective in ensuring robust tender procedures and signing contracts for construction work. This meant timely mobilisation of the contractor with most of the preparatory work completed in 2021," the source at EBRD said.
However, challenges arose in 2022 due to COVID-19 restrictions in China and disruptions at the border, leading to labor shortages and delays in the delivery of necessary equipment and machinery.
"Despite these challenges, the contractor still managed to deliver the machinery and hired a significant part of the local labor force", the bank said.
As of now, sub-contractors are already mobilized, and most of the preparatory work has been completed. Necessary equipment and machinery have been delivered. Considering the progress made so far, the EBRD and partners are expecting substantial construction progress in 2023.