DUSHANBE, April 25, 2014, Asia-Plus -- The World Bank Group’s Board of Executive Directors on April 22 approved an allocation of US$45 million equivalent to finance the first phase of the transformative Central Asia Roads Links Program, to be implemented in Kyrgyzstan in 2014-2019.

The Central Asia Road Links (CARs) program is a collaborative regional, multi-phase program initiated by governments of Central Asia.  The objective of this program is to increase transport connectivity between neighboring countries in Central Asia while supporting improvements in road operations and maintenance practices.

Press release issued by the World Bank notes that the first phase of the Central Asia Road Links Program (CARs-1) will rehabilitate cross-border road links between Osh and Batken regions in Kyrgyzstan and Sughd province in Tajikistan.

CARs-1 in Kyrgyzstan will focus on the rehabilitation of about 56 kilometers of road sections in Batken region along and within close vicinity of the Osh-Batken-Isfana road corridor.  Specifically, those road sections include: Isfana – Kairagach/Madaniyat border crossing (36 kilometers), Batken- Tortkul (14 kilometers), and Batken – Kyzyl Bel/Guliston border crossing (6 kilometers).

It is estimated that the project will directly benefit about 680,000 residents of Batken and Osh oblasts who are expected to be regular road users travelling along the road sections.  Indirectly, the improved connectivity will benefit more than three million residents of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

“The CARS-1 project is designed as part of a sequence of projects with multiple countries. Not all participating countries would need to start at the same time, but rather each would begin when ready,” said Cordula Rastogi, World Bank’s Senior Transport Economist and Task Team Leader for the CARs project.  “The proposed second phase in this program involving Tajikistan is currently under preparation.  Kazakhstan has expressed its interest to consider its participation in the program in the future; discussions are currently ongoing between the Kyrgyz and Kazakh governments with a view to increase transport connectivity between Issyk-Kul region (Kyrgyzstan) and the bordering Almaty region of Kazakhstan.”