Travel on the planned highway that will connect Kazakhstan’s largest city, Almaty, and Kyrgyzstan’s Lake Issyk-Kul would cost between $10 and $25, Tazabek news agency reported citing Kylychbek Jakypov, the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) representative and national coordinator of Almaty-Bishkek Economic Corridor.
Almaty is only 80 kilometers away from Issyk-Kul, which is renowned for its numerous resorts, hotels, and guesthouses. The two destinations are separated by mountain ranges and connected by the existing road stretching over 460 kilometers, leading to long travel times. Currently, the journey by car from Almaty to Cholpon-Ata, the largest resort city at Issyk-Kul, takes at least 8 hours.
Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan have approved the route of an alternative road from Almaty to Issyk-Kul. The new road will run through the towns of Uzynagash (Kazakhstan) and Kemin (Kyrgyzstan) to Cholpon-Ata. The length of the planned road will be 260 km, compared to the existing road of 460 km.
According to Jakypov, the exact toll will be determined during negotiations between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan and after conducting a feasibility study of the project.
“Of course, we will take into account the interests of travelers, and also strive to make the road profitable,” Jakypov said.
He added that the new Almaty-Issyk-Kul highway will annually bring $53-$194 million to Kyrgyzstan’s GDP, and an additional $31-$91 million a year will go to Kazakhstan’s budget.
