Kazakhstan
2.3 Kazakhstan Road Network

Kazakhstan Road Network

For information on Kazakhstan Road Network contact details, please see the following link:

4.1 Kazakhstan Government Contact List

For information on Kazakhstan Motor Roads Committee Regulations, please see the following document: 

Kazakhstan Regulation on Motor Roads Committee Information

Note: The information provided in the attached documents, which has been taken from the old DLCA, does not match the structure of the new LCA and is therefore provided separately.

The thriving east-west trade that once spanned Central Eurasia along the famed Silk Road may soon be restored to its former glory thanks to growing transport and trade links being rolled out. Central Asian countries have been working closely together to construct transport corridors, promote energy security, and remove trade barriers. They have shed outdated trade policies and adopted new rules to increase commerce. Trade between East and West is booming again, the government has decided it needs to upgrade its infrastructure. A country of vast expanses, and huge distances, it is a major logistical challenge for those trying to do business here, it is the largest landlocked country in the world. But a new highway is under construction that will span the entire country and replace many of the bumpy back roads that make travel here such a chore. The road from Almaty, the largest city and former capital, flows through the mountain of Eastern Kazakhstan, a rural area which is believed to have large economic potential with huge oil, gas and mineral reserves. To make it more accessible for businesses, Kazakhstan plans to spend about $19 billion on transport infrastructure by 2014, especially on links from China to Europe that could help revive towns like Taraz..

Distance Matrix

Distances from Capital City to Major Towns (km)

 

Astana

Karagandy

Shymkent

Almaty

Astana

 

1173.21 km

997.79 km

975.26 km

Karagandy 1173.21 km   1421.05 km 1839.48 km
Shymkent 997.79 km 1421.05 km   608.33 km
Almaty 975.26 km 1839.48 km 608.33 km  

Road Security

Level: Good

Roads in Kazakhstan are in poor repair in rural areas. Poor signage is common. Street lighting, especially on side streets, may be turned off at night. Drivers often ignore lane markings. Potholes are common, and are often dangerously deep. Pedestrians frequently dart out in front of cars. Visitors should drive defensively at all times as many local drivers do not follow traffic laws. Special caution should be taken if driving at night. Road rage can be a problem, especially in and around Almaty, and a non-confrontational response to such behavior is strongly recommended. Accidents involving severe injury and/or death are common. Traffic police have reportedly stopped cars to extort bribes on main city streets and at periodic checkpoints on major highways.

The road between Almaty and Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, is especially treacherous at night or during poor weather. U.S. citizens and other travelers have been killed in traffic accidents on that road, and travel at night or during poor weather should be avoided.
Travelers should be particularly careful when using public transportation and taxis. Buses tend to be very crowded and can be unsafe and unreliable. Due to the danger of theft or assault, travelers should be selective regarding which taxi they contract and always avoid entering a cab that already contains persons other than the driver.
Kazakhstan has a zero-tolerance policy for driving under the influence of alcohol. A driver may be detained by police and convicted of drunk driving for driving a vehicle after consuming one drink of alcohol, regardless of whether the driver is actually intoxicated. ( Source : http://travel.state.gov )

Weighbridges and Axle Load Limits

The Semei Bridge is a gravity-anchored suspension bridge that crosses the Irtish river in Semei, Kazakhstan. It has a main span of 750 meters and a total length of 1086 m. It was built between 1998 and 2001 and is currently in use by road traffic.

Type LCA Country Kyrgystan
Truck with 2 axles 11 : 15 Tons 11 : 17 Tons
Truck with 3 axles 15 : 20 Tons 15 : 24 Tons
Truck with 4 axles 18 : 32 Tons 18 : 32 Tons
Semi-trailer with 3 axles 36 Tons 36 : 44 Tons
Semi-trailer with 4 axles 36 Tons 36 : 44 Tons
Semi-trailer with 5 axles 36 Tons 36 : 44 Tons
Semi-trailer with 6 axles 36 Tons 36 : 44 Tons
Truck & drawbar trailer with 4 axles 36 Tons 36 : 44 Tons
Truck & drawbar trailer with 5 axles 36 Tons 36 : 44 Tons
Truck & drawbar trailer with 6 axles 36 Tons 36 : 44 Tons
Truck & drawbar trailer with 7 axles 36 Tons 36 : 44 Tons

Road Class and Surface Conditions

Basic indicators of status of public roads in the Republic of Kazakhstan (January to December 2012):

Description Measuring unit Status
    Nation-wide Regional and district Total
Length of roads in total in the RK: km 23 484 73 932 97 416
By technical category        
I km 1 069 72 1 141
II km 4 016 781 4 797
III km 16 505 14 564 31 069
IV km 1 808 46 571 48 379
V km 86 11 944 12 030
By types of road topping        
cement-concrete km 178   178
asphalt-concrete km 10 398 7 731 18 129
black macadam km 4 012 11 704 15 716
black gravel km 7 071 18 990 26 061
black top-soil km 34 593 627
gravel-macadam km 1 684 24 672 26 356
top-soil km 107 10 242 10 349
By condition:        
good % 30 16 19
satisfactory % 49 47 47
unsatisfactory % 21 37 34
Encompassed with all types of repair, including:        
building and reconstruction km 1 621 196 1 817
capital repair km 65 456 521
medium repair km 1 100 2 971 4 071
current repair and maintenance km 21 798 73 280 95 078

For information on Kazakhstan Road Network additional European Route details, please see the following documents:

Kazakhstan Road Network European Route Information

E004 European Route

E011 European Route

E012 European Route

E013 European Route

E014 European Route

E015 European Route

E016 European Route

E018 European Route

E38 European Route

E40 European Route

E121 European Route

E123 European Route

E125 European Route

E127 European Route

Note: The information provided in the attached documents, which has been taken from the old DLCA, does not match the structure of the new LCA and is therefore provided separately.

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