DUSHANBE, March 18, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- 14 companies are participating in a tender for the contract to upgrade the Dushanbe-Tursunzoda-Uzbekistan border highway, Ghoibnazar Boronov, deputy director of the road rehabilitation project management unit within the Ministry of Transport (MoT), told Asia-Plus Friday afternoon.

According to him, the term of acceptance of applications for participation in the tender expired on March 16.  “At first, 45 companies expressed wish to participate in the tender, but only 14 companies lodged the applications to the tender commission by the target,” Boronov said, noting that the tender commission is currently considering the companies’ bids.

“The bids will also be considered by the Asian Development Bank, which finances the project,” noted Boronov.  “The implementation of the project is expected to start at the beginning of the second half-year of 2011.”

The following companies are participating in the tender: Innovative Road Solutions (IRS); Tajik-Chinese JV Sokhtmoni Dustii Tojikistonu Khutoy; Polat Yol Sanayi (Turkey); Avtotrans (Tajikistan); China Road and Bridge Corporation; Sinohydro Corporation (China); Snag Il (Korea); Sargin Insaat (Turkey); Saleem Construction (Italy); Azer Insaat Service (Azerbaijan); Kazakhdorstroy (Kazakhstan); Rohi Tojikiston (Tajikistan); Korkhonai Somoni Dushanbe; and China Railway Construction Corporation.

We will recall that the ADB provides a $120 million grant to help Tajikistan upgrade a vital road linking the capital Dushanbe with the Uzbekistan border.

The 62-kilometer highway passes through the Hissar Valley and the town of Tursunzoda - two major economic areas in Tajikistan.   The grant will finance road upgrading and improvements to drainage structures and bridges.

The grant will also improve facilities at the Dusti border, which handles about 50,000 vehicles per year, or a quarter of Tajikistan''s cross-border vehicles and freight. The project will include connecting the border point to a dependable power source, building modern customs buildings, and installing new information technology, all of which will help increase trade and cut waiting time at the border.

The grant is sourced from the Asian Development Fund and the project is expected to be finished until January 30, 2015.

The stretch of the road from Dushanbe to Tursunzoda will be upgraded into four-lane highway, 25 meters in width, while the section of road from Tursunzoda to Uzbekistan border will be a two-lane highway, 15 meters in width.

According to the Ministry of Finance (MoF), Tajik government’s contribution to the project is 34.3 million U.S. dollars.