29.02.2024

On February 29, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev arrived in Khorezm region.

The President attended the opening ceremony of the new bridge in Amudarya district of the Republic of Karakalpakstan.

This strategic structure is of great economic and social importance. On December 13, 2020, the President launched the project at a meeting with activists from Khorezm region. Since then, a major construction project has been completed. The President has visited the bridge twice to inspect its construction.

Today, a solemn opening ceremony of the new bridge was held with the participation of representatives of the older generation of Karakalpakstan and Khorezm region.

In the course of his visit, the President was able to see for himself the quality of the bridge, both by train and by road, before meeting with public representatives and stressing the importance of the bridge to the region and to the people who live there.

"The development of the Aral Sea region, in particular the Republic of Karakalpakstan, first of all mitigating the consequences of the environmental crisis and creating favourable conditions for the population living in difficult conditions, is one of the main goals of the Development Strategy of New Uzbekistan. As I said earlier, the destiny of Karakalpakstan is the destiny of Uzbekistan, the happiness and prosperity of the people of Karakalpakstan is the happiness and prosperity of all the people of Uzbekistan. Today we are taking another important step in this direction," said Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

The bridge was built in one of the most remote areas of the country. Until now, people used the old pontoon bridge that was built here in the fifties of the last century. Every spring, when the ice melts and the water level in the river rises, movement on the bridge became very difficult, causing many challenges for people living on both sides of the river.

For example, residents of Amudarya district had to travel by car through Urgench and Beruni to reach Nukus, an additional 180 kilometres. By train, they had to cross the bridge at Hazorasp, to the east of Khorezm.

The new bridge will eliminate these difficulties and reduce distances. It will be the closest road and rail link between Karakalpakstan and Khorezm.

The length of the bridge is 423 metres. An 85-kilometre railway has also been built, linking Shavat and Karauzyak stations and three other railway stations.

As a result, the capacity of the road has quadrupled and 12,000 cars can use it every day. This will ensure a safe river crossing for 48,000 passengers and save two hours of travel time.

The bridge will be able to carry up to 24 pairs of trains in both directions, reducing the rail distance by 180 kilometres and the delivery time of goods to 6 hours. This will double the annual volume of goods transported and cut transport costs in half. New railway lines will be opened to Kazakhstan and Russia.

In addition, by transporting stone from quarries in the Karauzyak district by train rather than truck, the safety of highways serving 4 million residents and tourists in the Aral Sea region will be improved. This will be of great benefit to the population, entrepreneurs and tourists.

"This majestic bridge that we have built together is much more than just another piece of infrastructure. This bridge is first and foremost a bridge of strong trust and friendship, unity and cooperation between the Uzbek and Karakalpak peoples. This is the road to a new Uzbekistan and a new Karakalpakstan, the road to development and prosperity. I congratulate us all on this historic day when the dreams of thousands of our compatriots living on both banks of this great river are coming true," the President said.

The President expressed his gratitude to the builders, designers and engineers, all those who contributed to the construction of the bridge for their dedicated work in difficult climatic conditions. It was emphasized that the work on creating amenities for the population would continue.

In particular, the Bukhara-Urgench-Khiva line will be electrified this year, followed by the Miskin-Nukus line next year. As a result, there will be high-speed trains to Khiva and Nukus, and local people will have easier access to other cities in the country. These projects will halve transport costs and increase passenger numbers by 30%.

In general, such large-scale projects contribute to the growth of the economic potential of Karakalpakstan and Khorezm, attracting investment, creating new jobs and increasing the income of the population.

The speakers at the ceremony congratulated everyone on this historic event in the life of our country and thanked the President for his attention to the development of the Aral Sea region.