The Asian Development Bank (ADB) today approved a $274.2 million loan to reconstruct 240 kilometers (km) of highway in the western part of Uzbekistan and improve safety at key sections of the country’s national road network to expand regional trade and road transport connectivity.

“As a double-landlocked country, Uzbekistan has made regional connectivity the centerpiece of its transport policy,” said ADB Senior Transport Specialist Pawan Karki. “This project will help to develop the country’s potential as a regional transport and logistics hub between Europe and South and East Asia, promoting economic growth.”