Kyrgyzstan

Rehabilitation of the Osh-Batken-Isfana Highway, km 220-232, 248-360

Location: Osh - Batken - Isfana, Kyrgyzstan
Sector: Rail and Road Connectivity
Total cost: $ 91.4 mln 
Chinese partner: Exim Bank of China
China Road and Bridge Corporation
Kyrgyzstani partner:
Construction start: 2013
Putting into commission: 2018

Partners summary

The Export-Import Bank of China is a state-owned policy bank with the status of an independent legal entity. EXIM Bank plays a crucial role in promoting steady economic growth and structural adjustment, supporting foreign trade, and implementing the “going global” strategy. The Bank has been active in various projects in Kyrgyzstan, often linked to BRI. In May 2018, the Kyrgyz debt to this bank amounted to $ 1.5 billion, which should be paid back in a period of 5 years. [1]

China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) is one of the four large state-owned companies in China that earliest entered into the international engineering contracting market. CRBC mainly undertakes contracting, investment, development and operation projects such as road, bridge, port, railway, airport, tunnel, real estate and industrial parks. Guided by the “Go Global” and “Belt and Road” initiative of China has seized the opportunity for CRBC to expand business and raise core competitiveness. China Road and Bridge Corporation entered the market of Kyrgyzstan in 2001 and formally established the CRBC Kyrgyzstani Office in 2002. Since then, it has undertaken over 20 projects with an accumulating distance of 658 km. And its key ongoing projects mainly include North-South Second Highway Construction Phase I and North-South Second Highway Construction Phase II. [2]

Description of the project

This project renovated key segments of the Osh-Batken-Isfana highway through Kyrgyzstan. The project was entirely funded by the Export-Import Bank of China and constructed by the China Road and Bridge Corporation. It was completed in three sections, the costs broken down as follows: km 220-232 - USD$9.63 million, km 248-271 - USD$4.52 million, km 271-360 - USD$77.28 million. [3]