Kyrgyzstan Launches Construction of Key Highway Linking to China’s Xinjiang

Kyrgyzstan has officially started construction on the Barskoon-Bedel highway, a strategic infrastructure project set to become a vital link between the Issyk-Kul region and China’s Aksu prefecture in Xinjiang.

This highway forms a major segment of the planned Barskoon-Uchturfan-Aksu corridor and will cross the Bedel Pass, enhancing regional connectivity and trade between the two countries, The Caspian Post reports, citing The Times of Central Asia.

The new road is expected to shorten the distance between Aksu and Kyrgyzstan by 500 kilometers, saving at least 12 hours of travel time for freight carriers.

The highway will cross the Barskoon and Soek passes, the Kara-Sai valley, and the Ashuu-Suu pass. To ensure year-round use, the project includes construction of a 5.5 km tunnel under the Soek pass and a 3.8 km tunnel beneath the Ashuu-Suu pass, both areas prone to heavy winter closures.

Construction is being carried out by China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC). The main roadworks are scheduled for completion in September 2029, with full commissioning of the highway and supporting facilities expected by September 2030.

The Bedel checkpoint, first opened under a simplified regime in September 2024, lies in a remote mountain zone roughly equidistant from Karakol in Kyrgyzstan and Aksu in China. Its full-scale development with international-standard infrastructure is slated for completion by 2027.

Once finished, the Barskoon-Bedel corridor will become Kyrgyzstan’s third road crossing with China, alongside the Irkeshtam (Osh region) and Torugart (Naryn region) passes. Unlike the older routes, which are frequently closed during winter, the new corridor is designed to provide a more reliable and time-efficient link.

The project is expected to strengthen Kyrgyzstan’s role as a transit hub for Chinese goods heading to third-country markets. Bilateral trade between Kyrgyzstan and China reached $23 billion in 2024, an eightfold increase in recent years.

Speaking at the ceremony, Chinese Ambassador Liu Jiangping said the new highway is part of a wider set of strategic projects advancing between the two countries, aimed at accelerating cargo flows and expanding trade, investment, and economic cooperation.