Building Roads for Better Lives!

A 1,600-kilometer corridor of high-quality roads in Kazakhstan has connected 5.5 million people in the area, allowing them to enjoy a higher quality of life and reshaping the economic landscape of the whole region.

“Connectivity of the village to the regional center has improved, giving many more opportunities to local businesses,” says Ardak Ospanov, a resident of Kazaly district, Kyzylorda region.

The construction of the Western Europe-Western China Transit Corridor started in 2009. Travel time has been cut by some 67% – travel speed went from 25 km/h to 80 km/h – and road user costs were cut by 35%. The infrastructure provided quicker and safer access to essential services, thus reducing maternal deaths by 62% from 2009 to 2019. More than 50,000 construction jobs and 1,200 permanent road maintenance positions were created through the project, hence spurring regional development and curbing youth migration. By focusing on training, new qualifications, and equitable conditions for women, the project became a catalyst for social mobility in the region. According to a post-South-West Roads Project survey, 43% of the respondents experienced better job and income opportunities, and 93% noticed a higher quality of life.