Website www.bnews.kz. «Nurly zhol»: Transport «construction of the century »

The message surprised experts not with novelty (Nursultan Nazarbayev earlier spoke repeatedly about infrastructural development), but more likely utmost clarity. The subject was not about the abstract areas of work, but about specific purposes and tasks for implementation of which specific money is allocated. The essence is simple: while others convulsively looked for cure from crisis, we methodically increased the National fund. Time came to address to its reserves to strengthen the economy and to give it new acceleration. Kazakhstan pours in the saved-up funds in economy, but does it not thoughtlessly. Each draft of "Nurly zhol" map will yield tangible result in the future. The astronomical amount is 500 billion tenge (almost 3 billion dollars) on roads, ports, banks and business – only timely long-term investments.

 

Remember, to what purposes the amount allocated from National fund will go.

* Crediting of SME – 100 billion tenge. The head of state in each address devoted to economy says that SME share in GDP needs to be brought to the level of the developed countries (that is to 40-50%). Additional expenses look more than justified taking into account crash of Russian ruble and accession of Kazakhstan to the WTO.

* Improvement of the banking sector by repayment of the "bad" credits – 250 billion tenge. According to National Bank data, as of July, 2015 the share of the problem credits made 10% of the total amount of a loan portfolio of banks against 23,5% in 2014. The result of work is obvious, even in spite of skeptical estimates of some experts.

* Creation of necessary infrastructure for investments attraction – 81 billion tenge. It is referred to "dry port", "Khorgos – East gate" project completion.

 

* "Expo" complex construction – 40 billion tenges. The destiny of this money is sad, but it isn't hopeless. Construction by efforts of twice updated team (responsibility for preparation with Adilbek Dzhaksybekov divided with Akhmetzhan Essimov) will be complete in time.

 

* Construction of the new terminal and reconstruction of a take-off runway of the airport of Astana – 29 billion. The inhabitant can note for himself that the capital airport never is crowded. But here the role is played by strategic vision of the city development, into which growth of number of inhabitants, opening of new air routes, growth of interest in Astana from investors and ordinary tourists are put. At last, for carrying out of large international event like "Expo" it is obviously insufficient to have the present terminal of the capital.

Besides, the President paid attention for the requirement to develop power infrastructure. In particular, it was concerning power transmission branch construction from Ekibastuz through Semei to Ust-Kamenogorsk and Almaty. Its value is huge and consists, first of all, of decrease and even full elimination of dependence of the southern regions from electric energy procured from abroad.

One more important direction of the project is modernization of HCS. The general wear-out of communications and networks in Kazakhstan even according to the most conservative estimates makes 65%. It is referred to a catastrophic condition of domestic HCS which logical result is cases of "defrosting" of the whole settlements.

 

Besides, the Head of state noted importance of social infrastructure construction, in particular, schools and kindergartens. This work is conducted on a constant basis, but young Kazakhstan citizens become, fortunately, more increasing. Providing them education is a problem of strategic importance.

 

Which of these directions is more important? It's hard to say. Development of each of them is a question of vital necessity. We will stop on the direction, the course of project implementation of which can be traced at each stage, - road construction.

 

According to «KazAutoZhol» NC» JSC estimates till 2020 it is planned to cover 7 100 km of country roads by construction and erection works (for comparison: extent of Kazakhstan from the West to the East – is slightly less than 3000 km). 2,3 trillion tenge, including, in 2015 - about 270 billion tenge, 178 billion from which are directed by National fund.

At this moment the construction works are conducted on 6 highways in Kazakhstan:

* Sections of «Western Europe – Western China» corridor;

* Astana – Karaganda - Almaty highway;

* Astana – Pavlodar – Semei - Ust-Kamenagorsk highway;

* Kyzylorda – Zhezkazgan – Karaganda highway;

* Astana – Aktobe – Atyrau – Aktau highway;

* Almaty – Ust-Kamenagorsk highway.

Kazakhstan section of «Western Europe – Western China» corridor construction will be completed in 2016. The onlooker is hardly trusted in the similar scenario: too many problems arose and arise with contractors on different sections. For example, workers repeatedly staged a strikes because of dissatisfaction with the sizes or terms of salary. The were also problems of technological character: at the end of July the Chinese company which constructs a 32-kilometer section of the highway in the direction of the Uzbek border, declared that lags behind the specified time frames for the month because of soil settlement. All that remains is to believe in successful completion of all works in the declared terms.

 

It is difficult for Kazakhstan to overestimate the value of "Western Europe - Western China" corridor. The highway passing through the territory of Kazakhstan, in fact, it is a transport core of new logistic system. It connects among themselves not only border with China and border with Russia, but also two key logistic objects built within the "Nurly zhol" project, - Khorgos "dry port" and Aktau seaport (with addition in the form of Atyrau-Aktau highway).

 

Main highway of the country connecting Astana and Almaty will be constructed only by 2019. The road of 1282 kilometers length and cost about 836 billion tenge will be completed not only at the expense of means of National fund, but also at the expense of loans of the World bank and the EBRD. At present time the works are in process at Astana – Temirtau section.

Astana – Almaty highway has wide popularity from the moment of transfer of the capital to Astana. Besides, Karaganda direction has popularity at residents of Astana. Despite the high status, until recently the road, connecting two capitals had poor quality of pavement. As the result, road accidents on all its sections happened with a frightening regularity.

 

Without visible problems Almaty - Ust-Kamenogorsk highway construction is in process. At present Almaty – Taldykorgan section construction is being conducted, kapshagai piece of which is promised to start until the end of 2015. All sections will be handed over by 2017.

The end of highway construction is looked forward by drivers of east areas of the country because quality of the old highway didn't maintain any criticism. At the same time to reach, for example, from Semei to Almaty along Semei - Pavlodar – Astana – Karaganda – Almaty route is the extremely inconvenient. Construction of the new alignment, certainly, will positively affect both on increase of a cargo transportation, and a passenger traffic.

 

Kyzylorda - Zhezkazgan – Karaganda highway construction process checked by the «celestial chancellery» in May of this year: the road was flooded as a result of floods. Unfortunately, more constructive news about works on this section isn’t present. An estimated cost of the project of reconstruction - 10,1 billion tenge. 410 people, mainly locals will be involved in the project for 2 years.

Importance of this section for a transport network of the country is very big. The main advantage is communication of the North of the country with south-west areas. Besides, putting of the highway into operation will allow to northern and east regions "to go out" to the "Western Europe — Western China" highway.

 

The total cost of Astana – Ust-Kamenogorsk highway makes 431 billion tenges. Works are conducted on a section of Astana-Pavlodar-Semei at the moment, total length of 509 km. Following the results of 2015 it is planned to open the traffic on 100 km: Astana-Pavlodar (47 km) and Pavlodar-Semei (53 km).

The old "Pavlodar" highway also has poor quality of pavement. Thus the direction is very popular both at residents of Astana, and at residents of the Pavlodar region and EKO. Besides, importance of this section consists in binding of Astana and border of Russia regions.

 

In the process of Astana-Aktobe-Atyrau-Astrakhan highway construction the works are conducted on Beineu-Aktau section of 470 km length. In 2015 19,5 billion tenge are allocated for project implementation. Total cost of the project makes 540 billion tenge.

Besides, the extension of Astana – Kokshetau to Petropavlovsk highway is mentioned not in all sources devoted to the "Nurly zhol" project . Works are continued on Kokshetau-Petropavlovsk section in NKO. Following the results of a year it is planned to put into operation 55 km, in 2016 – 51 km. In 2015 14,3 billion tenge are allocated for section construction.

 

Construction of this site is provoked. Earlier travel from Astana to Petropavlovsk reminded a contrast shower. From Astana to Kokshetau – an ideal concrete pavement. Then – a decent site of high-quality asphalt. And here quality of the alignment passing across the territory of NKO left much to be desired. Thus the road connects Astana not only with Petropavlovsk, but also with border regions of Russia.

In general, when implementation of "Nurly zhol" project will be finished, Kazakhstan will receive an extensive network of high quality roads:

Certainly, the majority of the roads designated on the map earlier existed. But their quality was obviously insufficient to turn Kazakhstan into large logistic knot. Such object was set by the Head of state.

 

It is difficult to overestimate positive influence of highly-developed road network on economy. The main aspect is, of course, obtaining of benefit from transit of freights. On qualitative roads it is possible to transport more quicker. The overland route of cargo delivery through the territory of Kazakhstan will attract special attention of foreign partners, in particular after completion of construction of above mentioned logistic knots in the West (Aktau port) and the East ("dry port" of Khorgos) of the country.

Good roads are an important incentive to development of interior trade. Time reduction of goods delivery is capable to expand participation of producers in the markets of the neighboring regions, especially when it is, for example, about perishable goods. In turn, it will lead to toughening of the internal competition and fight for the consumer, positively affecting on the price and quality of goods and services.

 

Modernization of a road network traditionally promotes development of "roadside" of small and medium business. Motels, campings, snackbars are an integral part of infrastructure of a qualitative highway. And it, in turn, workplaces and tax contributions to local budgets. For example, along "Western Europe – the Western China" corridor campings already appear now. It is logical to assume that the more the transport stream, the demand of the accompanying infrastructure will be higher.

Besides, in construction of high-class high-speed highways there is one more important advantage about which the experts counting profits and losses of domestic treasury quite often forget. The lack of natural dividing lanes and side limiters on outdated Kazakhstan highways multiplied on irrepressible desire of drivers quickly to be in time to the destination, leads to a huge number of road accident. From the scenario "I lost vigilance-I dozed off-I left on an oncoming lane or I moved down in a ditch" even drivers with an experience aren't insured. Of course, the highways, constructed within the "Nurly zhol" project won’t convince Kazakhstan citizens to go more slowly in the name of own safety, but from a head-on collision because of second slackness will rescue precisely. From the point of view of prevention of road accident with a deadly outcome "Nurly zhol" road projects are invaluable.