The Head of state first visited the Amudarya district of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, where he took part in the opening ceremony of a new bridge.

This strategically important structure has excellent economic and social significance. The President initiated the project on December 13, 2020, at a meeting with activists of Khorezm region. Since then, extensive construction work has been carried out. The Head of state came twice to inspect the construction of the bridge.

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

The President first assessed the quality of the bridge by traveling across it by train and car, then held a meeting with public representatives, at which he emphasized the enormous importance of the facility for the region and its residents.

– The development of the Aral Sea region, in particular the Republic of Karakalpakstan, primarily mitigating the consequences of the environmental crisis and creating favorable 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 fate of Karakalpakstan is the fate of Uzbekistan, the happiness and well-being of the people of Karakalpakstan is the happiness and well-being of all the people of Uzbekistan. Today, we are taking another important step on this path”, Shavkat Mirziyoyev said.

The bridge was erected in one of the country’s most remote areas. Until now, people used the old pontoon bridge installed here in the fifties of the last century. Every spring, when the ice melted and the water level in the river rose, movement across the bridge became seriously difficult, creating many difficulties for residents on both river banks.

For example, residents of Amudarya district, to get to Nukus by car, had to travel through Urgench and Beruni, covering an additional 180 kilometers. By train, the route lay across the bridge in Khazorasp, east of Khorezm.

Thanks to the new bridge, these difficulties will disappear, and distances will be reduced. It will provide the closest road and rail access between Karakalpakstan and Khorezm.

The length of the bridge is 423 meters. Along with it, a railway 85 kilometers long was built, connecting the stations of Shavat and Karauzak and three stations.

The road’s capacity has quadrupled, and 12 thousand cars can pass along during the day. This will save two hours for 48 thousand passengers and ensure safe river crossing.

The bridge can carry up to 24 pairs of trains in both directions, reducing the railway distance by 180 kilometers and the cargo delivery time by up to 6 hours. This will double the annual cargo transportation volume and reduce the transportation cost by half. New railway routes to Kazakhstan and Russia will open.

In addition, transporting stone from the quarries of Karauzak district by train rather than by truck will improve the safety of roads serving 4 million residents and tourists in the Aral Sea region. This will bring significant benefits to the population, entrepreneurs, and tourists.

“This majestic bridge we built together means much more than another infrastructure facility. This bridge is, first of all, a bridge of strong trust and friendship, unity and cooperation between Uzbekistan and Karakalpakstan people. This is the path to New Uzbekistan and New Karakalpakstan, the path to development and prosperity. I congratulate all of us on this historic day, when the dreams of thousands of our compatriots living on both banks of this great river come true”, the President said.

The Head of state expressed gratitude to the master builders, designers, engineers, everyone who contributed to the bridge’s construction, for their dedicated work in difficult climatic conditions. It was emphasized that work to create amenities for the population will continue.

In particular, this year, the Bukhara – Urgench – Khiva line, and starting next year, the Miskin – Nukus line will be electrified. As a result, high-speed trains will be launched to Khiva and Nukus, which will make it easier for residents to travel to other cities of the country. These projects will halve transport costs, and passenger traffic will increase by 30 percent.

In general, such large projects contribute to the growth of the economic potential of Karakalpakstan and Khorezm, attracting investments and creating new jobs, increasing the incomes of the population.

Those who addressed the ceremony congratulated everyone on this historical event in the country’s life and expressed gratitude to the Head of state for his attention to the development of the Aral Sea region.