On Wednesday, 17 April 2024, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov led the opening ceremony of the Tejen-Mary section of the Ashgabat-Turkmenabat high-speed highway.
Construction of the 600-kilometer highway began in January 2019 and is progressing in three stages:
- Ashgabat-Tejen (203 km) – completed in October 2021
- Tejen-Mary (109 km) – inaugurated in April 2024 (present)
- Mary-Turkmenabat (288 km) – construction commenced in January 2024
The new highway significantly reduces travel times for people and goods, forming a crucial link in international transport corridors that connect Turkmenistan to the Asia-Pacific region.
Some technical specifications
JSC “Türkmen Awtoban” serves as the general contractor for the project. The six-lane autobahn boasts a 34.5-meter width, with each carriageway measuring 11.25 meters and a 3.75-meter traffic area, adhering to the world’s highest standards for such facilities.
The road features a robust structure, with a 60-centimeter stone coating layer, followed by 20-centimeter layers, and a final three-layer asphalt pavement totaling 22 centimeters.
The highway accommodates various bridges, underpasses, and surface passages. Adhering to international guidelines, 69 structures line the route, including hydraulic works, eco-bridges for wildlife and agricultural machinery, alongside essential engineering and communication systems.
For enhanced convenience, rest areas with parking lots, shops, cafes, a gas station, and toll booths are located along the highway. Traffic control is ensured by a comprehensive system that gathers and transmits traffic data to a monitoring center via continuous video surveillance. Weather station reports, including humidity and visibility, are also integrated into the system.
Special telephone points connect directly to the control center, allowing drivers and passengers to request urgent assistance.
Recognizing the area’s rich fauna, the highway incorporates safe crossings for wildlife traversing the Karakum Desert.
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The launch ceremony of the new segment of the autobahn was attended by deputy prime ministers, heads and representatives of the Mejlis, line ministries and departments, military and law enforcement agencies, the governor of Mary province, diplomatic missions and international organizations accredited in Turkmenistan, as well as Turkmen and foreign media based in the country.
The participants of 38th meeting of the Conference of Heads and Responsible Representatives of Railway Transport Enterprises of the member States of the Organization for Cooperation of Railways (OSJD) and other honored guests also attended the event.
Speaking at the ceremony, the President stressed that the development of modern transport corridors of the country in the East–West and North–South directions remains one of the priority goals, the success of which is largely determined by the Ashgabat–Turkmenabat high-speed highway with a length of 600 kilometers. In this context, the construction of the autobahn is another evidence of the revival of the ancient Great Silk Road in a modern format.
As noted, the Ashgabat–Turkmenabat highway, the route of which runs through the territory of the Akhal and Mary provincesd, will connect Ashgabat with the Lebap province and will allow to overcome the huge distance between the capital and the region in a very short time, ensuring unhindered transportation of passengers and cargo.
The new highway has been awarded several international certificates:
- NEC Telekommunication Ltd. (Japan) – international certificate “For using innovative technologies along the high-speed highway”.
- The company “Grenoble D’Electronique et D’automatismes (GEA)” (France) – certificate “For compliance with high standards of video surveillance and payment systems on a high-speed road”.
- VCE Vienna Consulting Engineers ZT GmbH (Austria) – International certificates “For compliance with the European guidelines for technical approval and standards for the construction of high-speed roads”, “For compliance with ISO 9001 standards for quality control of high-speed roads” and “For compliance of high-speed roads with the methodological manuals of road construction RAA 2008, RAL 2012”.
The head of state handed over new passenger buses to the Mary province, and then, accompanied by all participants of the ceremony, drove along the new highway. He made a stop at a gas station, familiarized with its equipment.