On 17 December,2019 President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov inspected the capital and the construction-in-progress of a motorway Ashgabat-Turkmenabat.
The state information agency TDH reports that together with the members of the Cabinet of Ministers, the mayor, the Chairperson of Turkmenistan’s Union of Entrepreneurs and Industrialists, the President inspected the shopping and entertainment centre, which is under construction on Tehran street, where the President “familiarized himself” with the project design of the new shopping centre.
In front of the shopping centre the exhibition of the domestic construction industry was organized for the President.After inspecting the exhibits, the head of state charged Deputy Prime Minister, overseeing construction, energy and public utilities Charymyrat Purchekov, khyakim of Ashgabat Shamukhammet Durdylyev, Minister of Construction and Architecture Soyenchnazar Selimov with the task of using only high quality materials during the construction works.
Deputy Prime Minister overseeing transportation, communications and industry Bairamgeldi Ovezov was instructed to extend relations with the leading overseas business communities.Deputy Prime Minister overseeing trade Chary Gylydzhov was ordered to organize “self-sufficient urban environment to provide the residents with an infrastructure for work, recreation, sports and using the services of the shopping and entertainment centre, which should be located within a walking distance”.
Chairperson of Turkmenistan’s Central Bank Merdan Annadurdyev was instructed to fund various facilities.Chairperson of Turkmenistan’s Union of Entrepreneurs and Industrialists Aleksandr Dadayev was charged with the task of ensuring high quality maintenance of facilities and their professional operations.
Then the President headed to the motorway Ashgabat-Turkmenabat, where he was again greeted by ministers, the khyakim of Ashgabat and Akhal velayat and the Chairperson of Turkmenistan’s Union of Entrepreneurs and Industrialists. An exhibition featuring construction equipment was organized for the President.
According to the news outlet, a tent was installed at the construction sites as well as tables featuring designs and schemes of the motorway Ashgabat-Turkmenabad. Dadayev briefed the head of state on the progress of the project and a video featuring the motorway construction was shown.
After that Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov got under the wheel of a road roller and familiarized himself with the construction-in-progress as well as the quality of the materials used during the road construction.
Deputy Prime Minister Purchekov, khyakim Durdylyev, Serdar Berdymukhammedov and Minister Selimov were charged with the task of overseeing construction issues.Deputy Prime Minister Ovezov was instructed to set up new and modernize existing facilities manufacturing import substitution products with the view of “ensuring trouble-free provision of necessary construction materials” whereas Gylydzhov needs to accommodate stores and social services centres which should be located within a walking distance to cater for the inhabitants of the new residential districts.
The project with an estimated value of $2.3 billion is envisaged to be implemented in three stages. The first section of the motorway Ashgabat-Tejen is scheduled to be commissioned in December 2020, the second section Tejen-Mary in December 2022 and the third section Mary-Turkmenabad in December 2023.
Turkmen companies were offered to build the motorways Ashgabat-Turkmenabad and Ashgabat-Turkmenbashi after Turkey-based Polimex had turned down the proposal of the Turkmen authorities to build the motorway to Turkmenbashi at their own expense and cover the expenditures out of the revenue, which the toll road was expected to generate in the future.
On 24 January, 2019 the festive ground-breaking ceremony of the Ashgabat-Turkmenabat road was held with the President’s son and back then a member of the Parliament Serdar Berdymukhammedov in attendance.