Roads in Central Asia

[Jhoan Seb]

A general thread for roads in this region (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and some parts of Mongolia and Xinjiang)
https://www.wegenwiki.nl/RB04_(Tadzjikistan)
https://asiaplustj.info/en/news/tajikistan/economic/20260109/construction-of-the-qalai-khumb-vanj-highway-frozen-for-second-month
From "Construction of the Qalai-Khumb – Vanj highway frozen for second month":

An official source within a MoT told Asia-Plus that the decision followed an armed attack on November 30, 2025, in the village of Shodaki in the Darvoz district.

Armed individuals crossed into Tajikistan from the Afghan village of Ruzvaiyak in Badakhshan province and attacked workers of the Chinese construction company China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), which was implementing the project.

The government of Tajikistan is planning to build 300km of roads for this year: https://asiaplustj.info/en/news/tajikistan/economic/20260105/tajikistan-to-build-300-km-of-roads-in-2026

[Jhoan Seb]

Also the Kazakh Ministry of Transportation is trying to pave more roads around the arid steppe.

[JayhawkCO]

I will (likely) be visiting this region for the second time in May/June. I'll be in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan. I'll try to get some road photos if possible.

[JayhawkCO]

And, to expound, at a minimum, I should get some mileage on:

UZB E003
UZB E40
UZB AH63
UZB AH5
UZB AH62
UZB A377 (which I should clinch)
TJK RB12 (which I should clinch)
TJK AH7
TJK A65

I haven't decided which stretches I'm taking the train vs. a shared car yet and I don't have daytrips planned from some of the places I'll be staying. TBD.

[Jhoan Seb]

I will (likely) be visiting this region for the second time in May/June. I'll be in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan. I'll try to get some road photos if possible.

Nice. I would recommend visiting the following routes:
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The KAZ11 (Former A33) in Mangystau
* https://maps.app.goo.gl/n26qCA1WoWDsjVvf7
* https://wiki.aaroads.com/wiki/KAZ11_(Kazakhstan)
The region has a lot of rock formations in the desert
KZ19-01 (A353, no idea why Google Maps uses Soviet numbers) in Jetisu Region
* https://maps.app.goo.gl/eUAkw9YeDRZwadut5
KZ16-01 (R-147) (Generally, all roads leading to Altai are beautiful)
* https://maps.app.goo.gl/eUAkw9YeDRZwadut5
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* D010 (Covers basically the entire route around Charvak Reservoir, although unfortunately the D routes are not properly marked on Google Maps)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/HFmXn7DTuzNHNFBy8
* D025 (Covers the route of Zaamin National Park)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/gCy2WykC3vrFS9KKA
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I don't know much about Tajikistan, only that the Pamir Highway is the most visited road in the country.

But if you're looking for incredible views in the area, I suggest these. Keep in mind that Kazakhstan is a vast expanse that is both arid (In the south) and grassy (In the north) plain most of the time. Also I recommend using the OSM since Google Maps uses the Soviet-era road numbering.

I made an article in the Aaroads wiki: https://wiki.aaroads.com/wiki/Soviet_Central_Asia_Road_Numbering (Because it is really common to travelers using it)

[Jhoan Seb]

https://maps.app.goo.gl/d2rj916L8ik18FaJA

https://qazinform.com/news/new-road-opens-to-city-of-nomads-tourist-site-79bbf6

Speaking of routes in Kazakhstan, the Ministry of Transportation in Almaty finally opened a new stretch of paved road to increase the number of tourists by 2026. Gorod Kochevnikov (Город Кочевников lit. City of Nomads) is a historic site for this region on the banks of the Illi River.

[JayhawkCO]

Unfortunately my visit to Kazakhstan is going to be limited to the better part of a day in Almaty before I fly home from there. I'm using miles to visit and couldn't find any availability from Dushanbe or Tashkent to come back, only Almaty, so I'm doing a quick one way flight from Dushanbe to Almaty in the morning and then flying out of ALA at 03:30 the next morning.

[Jhoan Seb]

https://open.kg/en/news/in-the-world/59866-ulan-bator-postroit-i-moderniziruet-858-km-dorog-v-2026-godu.html

This year, the construction of the Tuu Highway will also begin—a six-lane road 32 kilometers long. The contractor was selected in 2025, and preparatory work is already 80 percent complete. Out of 112 land plots for the project, 10 plots have already been cleared of obstacles.

The article has some errors, for example, it is "Tuul Highway" not "Tuu Highway," but I suppose that because it is a Kyrgyz publication, they use the transliteration from there. In any case, the government in Ulaanbaatar is finally investing money to clear traffic in the capital, which is quite poorly designed.

[Jhoan Seb]

Source: https://www.ipiu.mn/tuul-hw/articles/67ea448247af9ce69ced98ba

Also created an article for Aaroads Wiki: https://wiki.aaroads.com/wiki/Tuul_Highway

[Chris]

Ulaanbataar is surprisingly developed. They have seen a significant increase in traffic congestion and air pollution because the whole country's economy has concentrated into this single valley, they want to redirect some growth to other parts of this colossal country.

[Jhoan Seb]

The problem with Mongolia's road network is that when the country was communist, the Soviets chose to build railways to transport goods rather than roads.

It was only in the 2010s that Mongolia was officially connected to China by a paved road (with funding by the Asian Development Bank): https://wiki.aaroads.com/wiki/A01_(Mongolia)

It also doesn't help that much of the country is a huge steppe where it is difficult to build. In addition, the Ulaanbaatar metro has been delayed for more than a decade.

https://akipress.com/news:813894:Construction_of_Ulaanbaatar_metro_to_begin_in_September/

There are also plans to build a new ring road:

The "New Ring Road" project, which has been included in the action plan of the Government's New Revival Policy, will be 83 km long. According to estimates, traffic congestion will be reduced by 15-20 percent and road capacity will be increased dramatically once the road is commissioned.

https://www.montsame.mn/en/read/310183

[JayhawkCO]

Alas, my trip is now in jeopardy thanks to the State Department.

[kphoger]

Alas, my trip is now in jeopardy thanks to the State Department.

What's the issue being decided?

[JayhawkCO]

Alas, my trip is now in jeopardy thanks to the State Department.

What's the issue being decided?

Their directive is that we're pausing visa processing for 75 countries, two of which are Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Some countries that have had similar things happen have just outright banned American citizens from entry.

[kphoger]

Their directive is that we're pausing visa processing for 75 countries, two of which are Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Some countries that have had similar things happen have just outright banned American citizens from entry.

Ah, so your plans are now subject to the potential reaction by the Kazakh and Uzbek governments.  Ugh.

[JayhawkCO]

Their directive is that we're pausing visa processing for 75 countries, two of which are Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Some countries that have had similar things happen have just outright banned American citizens from entry.

Ah, so your plans are now subject to the potential reaction by the Kazakh and Uzbek governments.  Ugh.

Indeed. It's particularly strange with Uzbekistan as we just got visa-free access to the country at the beginning of the month. Almost like whoever made the decision had no idea what the hell they were doing.

[kphoger]

If only they could recognize the importance of your work in documenting the minutiae of those countries' road networks and just green-light you no matter what.

[JayhawkCO]

If only they could recognize the importance of your work in documenting the minutiae of those countries' road networks and just green-light you no matter what.

At least, at this point, I have not spent a dollar on anything that's not fully refundable. Airfare booked with miles. All hotels are pay on arrival with free cancellation.

[Jhoan Seb]

https://timesca.com/kazakhstan-and-kyrgyzstan-plan-shorter-route-from-almaty-to-issyk-kul/

According to Kazakhstan's Ministry of Transport, the proposed route will serve as an alternative to the current 460-kilometer drive through Korday and Bishkek. The new road is expected to be approximately 277 kilometers long, with a travel time of about three hours... Similar political issues prevented the reopening of a once-popular hiking trail from Almaty to Issyk-Kul. During the Soviet era, tourists could walk from Kol-Sai to Issyk-Kul via the Kyrgyz village of Tyup, roughly a 30-kilometer journey. The trail remained active until the 2000s, when it was closed due to bilateral tensions.

The governments of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are working to open a new route through the Tian Shan Mountains that separate Almaty from Bishkek.

[JayhawkCO]

If only they could recognize the importance of your work in documenting the minutiae of those countries' road networks and just green-light you no matter what.

At least, at this point, I have not spent a dollar on anything that's not fully refundable. Airfare booked with miles. All hotels are pay on arrival with free cancellation.

I guess it's just migration visas, not tourist visas. Makes me slightly more confident.

[Plutonic Panda]

505 million dollar motorway in Thailand announced:

https://www.globalhighways.com/news/new-505-million-thailand-motorway-approved

[Chris]

Check out the severe traffic congestion in Ulaanbataar at 6 p.m. local time

According to Windy it's not snowing or anything. This seems like 'normal' traffic conditions.

This happens because the entire economy of Mongolia has centralized into this one city.

[JayhawkCO]

Not to be a turd, but I wouldn't call Thailand nor Mongolia Central Asia. Mongolia is closer culturally though.

[kphoger]

Not to be a turd, but I wouldn't call Thailand nor Mongolia Central Asia. Mongolia is closer culturally though.

Thailand, certainly not.

Mongolia, ehhhh...

[JayhawkCO]

For most people Central Asia is just the Stans that used to be part of the USSR - Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. I, personally, would probably include Afghanistan as well, as Afghanistan has a lot more in common with Tajikistan than something like India, despite Afghanistan typically being included in South Asia. Mongolia is definitely a grey area, and is probably Tier 1A with Pakistan being Tier 1B.