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Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of Tajikistan signed a $90 million grant agreement on April 30 for the rehabilitation of a 40-kilometer section of the Dushanbe-Bokhtar road to improve connectivity between two major cities and economic hubs in Tajikistan and enhance the safety of the country’s highway network, Tajik news agency Asia-Plus reported.

According to the report, the grant is sourced from ADB’s Asian Development Fund.

The ADB Tajikistan Resident Mission (TJRM) stated that the agreement was signed by Minister of Finance Faiziddin Qahhorzoda and ADB Country Director for Tajikistan Pradeep Srivastava.

The Dushanbe-Bokhtar road, which carries about 10,000 vehicles per day, is a strategic north-south link and one of the most heavily traveled roads in Tajikistan, as well as the confluence of CAREC corridors 2, 5, and 6.

The improvement of the 40-km road section from Chashmasoron to Bokhtar includes road expansion from two to four lanes, construction of new pavements and structures, and provision of well-designed facilities to address existing road safety deficiencies.

The grant will also support the Ministry of Transport’s program to improve the road safety situation of the national highway network, which may include existing tunnels, intersections, black spots, and failed lengths of pavement. The project is expected to be completed by 2023.

ADB is celebrating 20 years of development partnership with Tajikistan in 2018. To date, ADB has approved around $1.6 billion in concessional loans, grants, and technical assistance to the country. ADB and Tajikistan’s development partnership, which began in 1998, has restored and built the country’s new transport and energy infrastructure, supported social development, expanded agricultural production, and improved regional cooperation and trade.

ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. Established in 1966, it is owned by 67 members, with 48 being from the region. In 2017, ADB operations totaled $32.2 billion, including $11.9 billion in co-financing.

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