Kazakhstan is planning to complete the reconstruction of six international transit corridors by 2015.

The government has allocated KZT180bn ($1.2bn) in its budget for the strategic project in the Akmola region.

The projects include the Astana-Kostanay-Chelyabinsk highway, which is expected to be completed by 2012; the Western Europe-Western China road, which is expected to be completed by 2013; and the Aktobe-Uralsk-Samara corridor, which should be completed by 2014.

The other projects include the Almaty-Astana-Petropavlovsk-Kurgan, Astrakhan-Atyrau-Aktau-Turkmenistan and Omsk-Pavlodar-Maikapshagai highways, which are scheduled for completion by 2015.

The work is currently underway on 49km of highway at a cost of KZT16bn, including four overpasses, one traffic interchange and a bridge over the Chagrinka River.

Another five bridges and an interchange will be built along the transit corridor from Kokshetau to Petropavlovsk.