DUSHANBE, April 17, Asia-Plus  -- The Kuwaiti Fund has provided $1 million for conducting feasibility study for designing and constructing of the highway from Kulob to GBAO’s Darvoz district, Asia-Plus has learned from Ismonqul Shoqulov, the director of Shagon-Zighar road project implementation unit (PIU).  

According to him, Kuwaiti-Lebanese joint venture Abdul Hadi+Spectrum has been granted a contract for conducting the feasibility study.  The joint venture won an international tender for conducting the feasibility study that was held in August 2007,” Shoqulov said, adding that work on conducting the feasibility study and designing the highway started last December and it is expected to be finished in October this year.          

The estimated budget for the project to construct this 100-kilometer highway and three bridges is $120 million.  

A roundtable meeting with participation of representatives from five Arabic funds, who have given the preliminary consent to financing this project, will be held in Dushanbe in July this year,” said the PIU director.  “The meeting aims to discuss issues related to financing the construction of the highway, which is scheduled to start at the beginning of the next year.”