Once upon a time, road construction helped lift the United States out of the prolonged economic depression of the 1930s. Can our roads similarly propel Kazakhstan onto a new trajectory of development?
The Institute of Public Policy conducted research to understand how our compatriots assess the quality of roads in Kazakhstan, including those in their residential areas, between neighboring settlements, and the state of intercity routes and highways.
Survey results showed that 38% of respondents are dissatisfied with the condition of roads in their residential areas. Particularly high levels of discontent were reported by residents of North Kazakhstan (68%), East Kazakhstan (66.3%), and Aktobe (61.3%) regions.
Some respondents noted the complete absence of roads in their residential areas, predominantly in the recently created Abay (18.8%) and Ulytau (6.7%) regions.
Almost as many, 39.6% of Kazakhstanis, complained about roads between neighboring settlements. As with internal roads, the leaders in dissatisfaction were Aktobe (65.1%), North Kazakhstan (62%), East Kazakhstan (65.3%), and Karaganda (76.3%) regions.
Fewer complaints were directed towards intercity routes and highways (32.1%). The issue is most acute in East Kazakhstan (62.4%), Aktobe (62.3%), West Kazakhstan (53.9%), Ulytau (54.8%), and Karaganda (52.6%) regions.
It is worth noting that substantial funds are allocated each year for the repair and construction of highways. In 2023 alone, 788.4 billion tenge was allocated. Of this amount, 385.2 billion tenge is directed towards roads of republican significance, and 403.2 billion tenge towards local roads. Furthermore, almost a third of local expenditure (29.4%) is allocated to three megacities: Almaty (61.4 billion tenge), Astana (44.5 billion tenge), and Shymkent (12.8 billion tenge). Interestingly, the volume of repair work covers more kilometers of roads than are actually needed.
According to official data, only 9% of republican and 15% of regional and district roads do not meet standards in 2023. Nevertheless, according to the Ministry of Transport, repairs and reconstruction are being carried out on 6.5 thousand km of highways of republican significance this year (26.1% of their total length). Additionally, by 2029, repairs are planned for 14 thousand km of regional and district roads, which constitutes 20% of their length.
However, the issue of the quality of road works is acute. In the first half of 2023, the National Center for Quality of Road Assets identified 70% violations during the construction of local roads. Moreover, 30% of road sections of all levels do not meet requirements and standards. Over the current year, more than 19 thousand appeals and complaints from citizens regarding the quality of roads have been received by state authorities.
