A major transport corridor linking China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan is rapidly taking shape, promising to redefine connectivity between Asia and Europe.

Kyrgyz Prime Minister Adylbek Kasymaliyev said the country is actively advancing construction of the strategic China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway-one of the region’s most ambitious infrastructure projects, The Caspian Post reports via Uzbek media.

Once completed, the new route is expected to cut cargo delivery times between East and West by up to a week. “If Peter the Great once opened a window to Europe, this railway will open a gateway between East and West,” Kasymaliyev said.

With a total investment of $4.7 billion, the project is jointly financed: 50% by China, and 24.5% each by Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. The railway will stretch 305 kilometers across Kyrgyzstan, including the construction of around 50 bridges and 29 tunnels.

Work on the Kyrgyz territory is already in full swing, employing over 4,000 workers and more than 5,500 pieces of equipment. The first tunnel has been completed in the Jalal-Abad Region, with additional large tunnels currently under construction.

Authorities aim to ensure uninterrupted progress and plan to complete the project by the end of 2030.

The railway’s strategic importance has also been highlighted at international forums, including discussions in Moscow, where experts emphasized its role in linking the Eurasian Economic Union with China’s Belt and Road Initiative-potentially reshaping trade flows across the region.