DUSHANBE, May 27, 2014, Asia-Plus -- The soon-to-be-completed road from Dushanbe’s Western Gate to the Uzbekistan border will provide a vital connection between Tajikistan and its neighbors and key piece of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Corridor 3 that spans almost 7,000 kilometers from the Russian Federation in the north to the Persian Gulf in the south, press release issued by the ADB Tajikistan Resident Mission (TJRM) on May 27 noted.

The 57-kilometer road improvement project, supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), includes road widening and realignment, improvements to drainage structures, bridges, and road safety features.

The project also supports the modernization of infrastructure and facilities at the Dusti border crossing point to ease movement of people and goods.

“ADB has been focusing on building economic corridors rather than traditional transport corridors,” said C.C. Yu, ADB’s Country Director for Tajikistan.  “Through training and direct financial support, the project encourages small business development, especially among women in the project area, and helps improve village access roads, sidewalks, and social infrastructure in selected border communities.”

The project started in 2011 and is due to be finished in 2015. ADB provided a grant of $120 million for the project with the Tajik government contributing a further $34.3 million.

Tajikistan joined ADB in 1998 and, to date, the institution has approved total assistance of over $1.2 billion in concessional loans, grants, and technical assistance to the country. The 15 years of ADB-Tajikistan partnership has promoted social development, restored and built new infrastructure, expanded agricultural production, and encouraged regional cooperation and trade within the framework of CAREC Program.

The CAREC Program promotes project-based cooperation in transport, energy, and trade. The CAREC partnership comprises 10 countries — Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, the People’s Republic of China, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan — and six multilateral institutions: ADB, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, International Monetary Fund, Islamic Development Bank, United Nations Development Programme, and World Bank. ADB has served as the CAREC Secretariat since 2001.