Meridiam has expressed interest in the Tashkent-Andijan toll road project.

The international investment company Meridiam has expressed interest in the toll road project Tashkent – Andijan, as reported by the press service of the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

On January 30, the Deputy Head of the Ministry of Economy and Finance Ilkhom Umrzakov discussed with the Eurasia Director of Meridiam Remi Hassanforder the construction of general secondary schools in various regions of Uzbekistan based on public-private partnership (PPP).

During the negotiations, issues related to PPP and promising areas of cooperation in the fields of education, healthcare, transport and infrastructure were also discussed.

Meridiam expressed its intention to establish long-term cooperation in the field of social and transport infrastructure. The company is ready to offer its financial solutions, noted the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

Additionally, Meridiam has shown interest in the project for the design, construction, operation and technical maintenance of the toll road Tashkent – Andijan.

In January, the Ministry of Transport announced a tender for the implementation of the first phase of the toll road construction project Tashkent – Andijan. The main consultant for selecting a private partner is a consortium of PwC, British Arup and Partners, and CMS Cameron, engaged with the support of the World Bank.

Toll Road Tashkent – Andijan

The toll road project Tashkent – Andijan has been under discussion since 2019. A new tunnel is planned to be built at Kamchik for it. The PPP Development Agency estimated the cost of travel on the future road in a passenger car at $5−6.

The Deputy Minister of Transport Jasurbek Choriyev reported at TMIF-2024 that the cost of the toll road Tashkent-Andijan is estimated at $4.65 billion. According to a revised estimate presented last October, the project’s nominal cost for 2023 will be $4.28 billion.

The first stage of the tender was planned for March of this year, and the second for October. The winner is expected to be determined by April 2026. The road will be constructed in approximately 6 years in three phases: Tashkent – Angren (78 km), Angren – Pap (93 km), and Pap – Andijan (143 km).

Earlier, Spot reported that an electronic queue at the border is planned to be implemented starting June 1.

Meridiam - is an international investment company and asset management firm, based in Paris and specializing in the development, financing and management of long-term projects in the field of social infrastructure. The fund, established in 2005, mainly invests in public infrastructure in Europe, North America and Africa.