A major new highway between the two Asian countries of Kazakhstan and Mongolia, which is set to run through the two largest cities of East Kazakhstan, Ust Kamenogorsk and Ridder, Russia’s Tuyekta rural settlement in the Republic of Altai and reach the border of Mongolia.
The construction of the new road, expected to be around 522 miles long, will help cut travel time, improve transport services between the countries and will be an important move to boost economic and cultural ties.
It is also expected to cost several billion dollars to construct. For reference, $3 billion is around £2.3 billion.
The distance between Ust Kamenogorsk and Tuyekta, according to Google Maps, covers about 259 miles, which currently takes just under seven hours by car. To then reach the Mongolian border takes another four hours and 40 minutes, a distance of over 216 miles.
The section from Ust Kamenogorsk to the border with Russia, stretching over 117 miles, has already been built, the Kazakh Transport Ministry said, according to Interfax.
The construction of the new road was discussed at a meeting between the two countries’ transport sector authorities.
Kazakhstan is the world’s ninth-largest country by land area and the largest landlocked country, however, with its population of 20 million, it has one of the lowest population densities in the world, at fewer than 16 people per square mile.
While primarily in Central Asia, a small portion of its territory is sometimes included in Eastern Europe.
Mongolia, meanwhile, also a landlocked country, is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of nearly 604,000 square miles and has a population of 3.5 million, making it the world’s most sparsely populated sovereign state. Much of its area is covered by grassy steppe, with mountains to the north and west and the Gobi Desert to the south.
Approximately 30 percent of its population is nomadic or semi-nomadic and horse culture remains integral.
Road transportation was prioritised in Mongolia’s 2024 budget, with the government setting a budget of $204.7 million (£156.8 million). Road maintenance was set to take precedence, with the country intending to revamp important links.
The Altai Republic is located in southern Siberia in Russia and shares borders with Mongolia, China and Kazakhstan. It is one of the 21 internationally recognised republics of Russia, the originals of which were created as nation-states for ethnic minorities. Formed in the early 20th century by Vladimir Lenin after 1917, the republics were intended to be nominally independent regions within the Soviet Union with a right to self-determination.
“Most of the route will be in Russia, and if the Russian authorities agree to the project, the total distance will be increased to 837 kilometres,” the Kazakh Transport Ministry added.
