A section of the Balkhash-Burylbaital Highway in Kazahhstan.
On Dec 29, the dual carriageway of the Section 6 of the Balkhash-Burylbaital Highway in Kazahhstan, built by POWERCHINA, successfully opened after 18 months of construction, and satisfactorily fulfilled the schedule target issued by the Kazakh President during an expanded government meeting earlier in 2024.
Stretching 47 kilometers through Kazakhstan's Zhambyl Region, the Section 6 was upgraded from a two-lane road to a Category 1B four-lane asphalt concrete highway. This highway is a vital component of the Center-South Road Corridor in Kazakhstan, serving as a major transportation route between the country's southern and central regions.
During construction, POWERCHINA worked tirelessly to overcome challenges such as frequent, unpredictable heavy rains and harsh winter conditions. The team made some remarkable achievements, including completing over 15 km of surface layers, sub-base layers, and C4-graded gravel base layers per month and paving over 200 km of asphalt in a single direction within a year.
Following the completion of asphalt paving on Nov 30, the team pressed forward, assisting subcontractors in installing steel guardrails and clearing the site under sub-zero temperatures to ensure the dual carriageway's opening. As a result, POWERCHINA has earned high praise from both the project owner and the World Bank, the project's financing partner.
