President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov on Friday attended the solemn opening ceremony of the Ashgabat-Tejen section of the new high-speed highway running from the country's capital to Turkmenabat city in its eastern velayat of Lebap.
The ceremony participants got acquainted with the transport facility’s infrastructure, including its Control Center, service facilities, monitoring and security systems, and with its payment systems, the official media of Turkmenistan reports.
Türkmen Awtoban CJST implemented the construction of the large-scale project. The second section – Tejen-Mary – is expected to open in about a year, while the third section running from Mary to Turkmenabat will be commissioned in 2023.
After linking with the Ashgabat-Turkmenbashi highway, the new highway will contribute to the expansion of the geography of supplies along the sea route to the Caucasus region, Europe, Russia and the Persian Gulf countries, according to the report.
During his briefing to the Turkmen President in the cabinet meeting on Thursday, the General Director of the Agency for Transport and Communications Mammethan Chakiyev informed about the plans to establish intercity bus routes Ashgabat-Kaka, Ashgabat-Dushak and Ashgabat-Tejen via the new highway. In order to effectively utilize the transit possibilities of the highway, Chakiyev also shared with the plans to organize transportation of transit cargo along the routes Turkmenbashi-Artyk, Turkmenbashi-Sarahs, Turkmenbashi-Ymamnazar and Turkmenbashi-Farap.
The construction of the 600-kilometer Ashgabat-Turkmenabat highway started in January, 2019. The commissioning of the new route is expected to significantly increase the throughput of the country's road system, the quality and efficiency of logistics services, expand the international transport-logistics infrastructure and trade-economic ties with neighboring states.
