Abai Region Residents Demand Independent Audit of 180 Billion Tenge Highway

Residents of the Abai Region are seeking an independent inspection of the construction quality of the Taldykorgan–Ust-Kamenogorsk highway. This was stated by civic activist Rollan Mashpiyev, according to infohub.kz.

The activist claims that after he filed a request demanding an investigation into the actions of regulatory authorities, his complaint was forwarded to an official who had previously been involved in the construction of the very same project.

According to Mashpiyev, when asphalt concrete samples were taken, the coating thickness was noticeably several centimeters short of the design specifications. The samples were collected by a commission with the participation of government agencies, but he says the laboratory test results were never provided to him.

The activist had previously appealed to the Prosecutor General's Office with a request to inspect certain sections of the highway. Among his complaints were cracks and deformation of the surface, as well as concerns about the reclamation of quarries. The general contractor for construction in the Abai Region was the Chinese company CITIC Construction.

Final conclusions on whether the road meets the project design and standards must be made by an independent expert review.

President of Kazakhstan Qasym-Jomart Toqaev had earlier spoken about the quality of the Taldykorgan–Ust-Kamenogorsk highway. He noted that only a short time had passed since the route opened, yet the surface had already begun to deteriorate. The head of state ordered a review of approaches to assessing road construction quality, stronger oversight, and the development of public control.

The highway itself is one of Kazakhstan's major infrastructure projects. Its construction was completed in 2025, and the project cost exceeded 180 billion tenge.

Activists are now demanding an independent inspection which, in their view, should show whether the actual road structure complies with the design documentation and standards.

Earlier, Kursiv reported that Toqaev called the quality of roads Kazakhstan's "Achilles' heel."