A groundbreaking ceremony for the Ashgabat–Dashoguz highway was held in the city of Dashoguz, attended by President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov, TDH reports.

The motorway, which will begin at the Oguz Khan Fountain Complex, one of the landmarks of the Turkmen capital, will have a total length of 546 km.

To ensure stable high-speed traffic, the highway has been divided into four sections and will be constructed in accordance with advanced technical and economic standards.

The first section, extending from the zero kilometre mark to kilometre 9, will have an earthwork formation width of 65 metres and comprise eight lanes. Pedestrian walkways on both sides, green spaces and shoulders are also considered.

The earthwork formation width of the sections between kilometres 9 and 48 and between kilometres 527 and 546 will be 34 metres, with six traffic lanes. The section between kilometres 48 and 527 will have a road width of 26.5 metres and four traffic lanes. All necessary facilities will be provided along the motorway to ensure the comfort of passengers and drivers.

The project also consider the modernisation of nine existing bridges, as well as the construction of a two-lane road bridge in the Naýzalydeňiz lowland. The bridge will be 812 metres long and 25 metres wide, with two-kilometre access roads leading to it.

A total of 136 modern, comfortable bus stops and 13 parking areas will be established along the highway. In addition, to ensure uninterrupted and safe traffic, seven traffic police monitoring posts will be built, alongside the installation of modern video surveillance and speed-control systems.