The foundations of five railroad bridges have been laid on Tashguzar-Baisun-Kumkurgan railroad, a report by Uzbekistan Today state-run newspaper said.

The construction of the bridges in question will be bankrolled by credit made available by the Japanese Bank of International Cooperation. The event that was held on this occasion was attended by the representatives of the Embassy of Japan in Uzbekistan, the Japanese Bank of International Cooperation, "Shimidzu-Nippon Steel Engineering-Yokogawa" Consortium as well as heads and specialists of "Uzbekistan Railroads" State Joint-Stock Company.

The first cornerstone of the first bridge which will be constructed at the 91st km of the railroad in accordance with the Japanese project was laid by Yuichi Kusumoto, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Uzbekistan, Ochilboy Ramatov, Chairperson of "Uzbekistan Railroads" State Joint-Stock Company, and Tetsuo Sioguchi, Executive General Director of the Japanese Bank of International Cooperation. Five bridges with a total length of 1200 meters are to be built within the construction of the new railroad. Notably, for the first time the technology of lifting monolith structures will be used. Darband railroad station hosted a presentation of the project of Japanese partners regarding the construction of the five bridges.

"In July last year, a tender was announced for the construction of five metal bridges at the most complex sites of the railroad", said Bakhtiyor Makhsimov, consortium project coordinator. "Our project met all technical and other requirements and we came out as the winners. The consortium was established by three Japanese companies. "Shimudzi" will be primarily engaged in concrete laying and setting fortifications under the bridges", "Nippon Steel Engineering" – in the assembly of metal structures and supplying the construction sites with such structures while "Yokogawa" will be assembling metal structures and constructing the bridges.

The cost of the construction of the bridges has been estimated at 4 billion 544 million yen. The project is expected to play an important role in the creation of a single and independent railroad system in the Republic, development of production branches in the southern regions and underground natural resources. In specialists’ view, the road passes through very complex areas in terms of relief. These areas are rich in mineral resources. Once complete, the new railroad will make it possible to develop and put into use these deposits and to deliver raw materials obtained in this area to recycling enterprises. It will also contribute to the growth of enterprises specializing in the recycling of industrial and agricultural products, and thus to the growth of employment.

For instance, in just the Baisun coal-fields (of Baisun district) dozens of types of natural deposits could be developed and high quality slate, glauconite and limestone could be extracted. Besides boosting the effectiveness of the transport system, this railroad will help develop metal mining industry and agricultural branches which in turn will increase the productive potential in the southern areas.