Astana: Kazakhstan has launched two upgraded automobile border checkpoints, Kazygurt on the border with Uzbekistan and Temir-Baba on the border with Turkmenistan. These improvements, as reported by Trend via the press service of the Kazakh government, aim to enhance border-crossing efficiency.
According to Trend News Agency, the upgraded checkpoints have successfully reduced wait times to just 30 minutes and increased the daily throughput capacity to 1,000 vehicles. This development has led to a significant surge in traffic volume, with the number of vehicles rising from 640,000 in 2022 to 1.5 million currently.
Notably, the Kazygurt checkpoint has undergone a major overhaul and now features automated vehicle registration systems, advanced scanning technologies, weight and dimension controls, X-ray machines, thermal imaging devices, and radiation monitoring tools. This initiative is part of a broader program to modernize the country’s border infrastructure, encompassing nine key checkpoints along the borders with China, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan.
Several other checkpoints, including Kaplanbek, Atameken, Kolzhat, and Alakol, have already seen upgrades. Meanwhile, improvements at Tazhen, Maikapchagai, and Bakhty are expected to conclude by the end of this year.
Additionally, the reconstruction of the Zhibek Zholy checkpoint on the Uzbek border is underway. The new facility will feature two modern passenger terminals with a total area of 10,000 m², along with a unified vehicle shelter. The upgraded complex, scheduled for completion by July 2026, will handle up to 70,000 people and 2,000 vehicles per day.