The Bishkek-Osh road in Kyrgyzstan is part of the international corridor of the Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation led by the Asian Development Bank, running from Russia and Kazakhstan through Kyrgyzstan from north to south to Afghanistan, and is the only major highway connecting the capital Bishkek and the second largest city Osh. It is one of the most important roads in the country and internationally. However, because the road passes through a mountainous region, it is prone to natural disasters such as avalanches and wind and snow avalanches due to snow accumulation during winter. In addition, due to the steep mountainous terrain, the winds blowing down from the mountain tops are extremely strong, causing snow to accumulate on the road and obstructing visibility, especially at the 125-129 km and 216-222 km points along the road, causing frequent roadblocks due to ground snow. This has become an obstacle to the transportation of domestic goods and trade with neighboring countries, and an impediment to economic revitalization.
This cooperation will strengthen the transport capacity and safety of the road and contribute to the maintenance of the country’s transport infrastructure and economic revitalization by implementing countermeasures against snowstorms in some sections of the Bishkek-Osh road where snowstorms frequently make it difficult to pass through.
© Source JICA