The Republic of Karakalpakstan is the only autonomous republic in Uzbekistan and the largest local administrative region in the country. The republic is rich in salt, thenardite, oil and natural gas resources. The A380 international highway running through its territory is an important Central Asian regional economic corridor planned by the Ukrainian government, connecting Kazakhstan to the west and extending to the Caspian Sea Coastal Economic Zone and even further to the European continent.

Overcome difficulties, builders have no boundaries

In May 2021, the Uzbekistan Office of China Road and Bridge Engineering Co., Ltd. and the Uzbekistan Road Fund officially signed the road reconstruction project contract for the three sections KM1084-1204 of the A380 Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Corridor 2 Karakalpakstan Road Project . The project is located in the northwest of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, with a total length of 120 kilometers. The westernmost end has reached the Uha border checkpoint.

Wu Qunju, the chief engineer of the project, said: "The roads involved in the project are all located in deserts. There are only two villages along the way, 60 kilometers apart from each other, and there are only a few households in the smaller villages. The project camp is close to the nearest city, Kungle It is about 300 kilometers away from the city. The severe natural environment and remote geographical location have a great impact on the construction. Since there is no sand and gravel materials that meet the construction requirements near the project, it is necessary to purchase the sand and gravel materials from the Kara nesting yard, which is 500 kilometers away, and then transport them by rail. To the project location. Due to the long distance and insufficient railway capacity, the construction progress is seriously restricted. In addition, the natural conditions along the project are poor, and the settled population is small, so the project faces the problem of difficulty in recruiting workers. However, in the face of various challenges in the project construction process, our construction The team has been actively exploring various solutions and advancing the project construction in an orderly manner.”

Since construction started in June 2021, the project has progressed smoothly. At present, the first branch of the project has submitted 15 kilometers of roadbed for inspection, culverts are 100% complete, geotextiles and sub-base are laid in an orderly manner, and the construction of the 175-meter concrete pavement test section has been completed. In the second branch of the project, the main road subgrade inspection is 10 kilometers, the culvert is 73% completed, the sub-base laying is 10 kilometers, the asphalt pavement for the access road is 14.9 kilometers, and the concrete pavement construction is also kicking off.

Despite the great difficulties and challenges, every employee on the project persevered. The desert is hot in summer and cold in winter. In order to protect the health of employees, both branches of the project are equipped with infirmaries. Secondly, each branch has a Chinese and local staff canteen to ensure the healthy and nutritious diet of employees. It is reported that at present, there are more than 500 employees on the project site, including more than 90 Chinese employees. The project is a cement concrete pavement with a width of 9 meters and two lanes. The main road completion date is June 2023.

Drink a ladle of water in the depths of the desert

The camp of the second branch of the project was built near Karakalbakia, a larger village along the route. From the beginning of the project, the project department has established a good interaction with the local villagers. For example, regular lectures on medical and health knowledge are held for local villagers, speaker equipment is donated to local mosques, and the village garbage dump is renovated and expanded.

There is a lack of pure drinking water in desert areas, and drinking underground well water for a long time is not conducive to the health of employees. After consultation with the local villagers, the villagers allowed the project department to use the pure water in the village. It is precisely because of drinking a ladle of water in the depths of the desert that the connection between the project construction team and the local people is deeper.

Wu Qunju said that after the project is completed, it will add vitality to the economic and social development of the areas along the line; at present, the project construction has created a large number of employment opportunities for local residents. Men participate in road construction, and women can also work in project logistics support, which has effectively increased the income of local residents.

Post-90s who can endure hardships and work hard

Living in a border town in a foreign country, the Chinese construction personnel involved in the construction of the project are under great pressure and challenges. Among them are not only veterans who have participated in overseas construction for more than ten years, but also many post-90s who have just started working.

Wu Qunju told reporters that he has been involved in road construction in Central Asia since 2009. He has worked in Kyrgyzstan for 10 years and came to Ukraine in 2019 to participate in the country's road construction. "To be honest, the Karakalpakstan road project is the worst natural condition project I have experienced in more than ten years. As one of the project managers, on the premise of ensuring the life, health and safety of employees, how to complete the project construction on schedule, quality and quantity? It's my biggest concern every day."

He said that every colleague on the project has made a firm decision to give up his family and serve everyone, and behind every firm contribution is inseparable from the silent support of family members in China. A post-90s employee who has been abroad for more than three years. Before he went abroad, his wife was pregnant, and now the child is almost three years old. At the same time, there are also warm stories here. Some people have gained love here and are ready to end the project. Later, they entered the marriage hall hand in hand... Although they were young, they also saw the spirit of being able to endure hardships and work hard in them.

It is reported that in 2008, CRBC officially entered the Uzbek market and participated in the country's infrastructure construction. It has successively completed the A380-KM876-916 (40km) project of ADB and the 20km road restoration project in Namangan State funded by the World Bank. . Currently, the A380 Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Corridor 2 Karakalpakstan Road Project is being implemented.Editor/XingWentao