Ashgabat, 10 August 2006 (nCa) --- In order to promote regional trade and transportation, Turkmenistan is
preparing to build a 1500 kilometers long motorway, connecting the western and eastern tips of the country.
The Turkmenbashy-Farab
road would be the direct and speedy route for citizens of Lebap province to the Caspian. It would also have immense appeal
for the traders in Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and China. The dual carriageway would be 25 meters wide, meeting international
standards. According to instructions issued Thursday by President Niyazov, Turkmen government would buy road building and
allied machinery from Russian and German companies for speeding up the project. Russian company Kamaz FTC Corp would supply
600 dump trucks with load capacity of 15 tons each. Total cost of the machinery including the spare parts would be US $ 23.1
million. German company Wirtgen International GmbH would provide 5 asphalt mixing plants with rated capacity of 160 tons per
hour, related spare parts, 5 lab kits and diesel generators. The total cost of the order is Euro 10.475 million. Geographically,
Turkmenistan is located at the heart of the East-West and North-South trade and transportation corridors. Since independence
Turkmenistan has invested more than US $ 5 billion for expansion of its road and rail network. A railway track connecting
Ashgabat directly with Dashoguz was put into operation recently and a parallel motorway is almost ready for commissioning.
The 530 kilometers long rail and road link carries combined price tag of US $ 4 billion.
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