According to him, the road was temporarily opened to traffic from June 1 to November of this year at the request of local residents, despite the fact that the project is still not fully completed.

As the head of state noted, approximately $1 billion was spent on the construction of the 388-kilometer road. The cost per kilometer of the road reached approximately $2.29 million.

Sadyr Japarov emphasized that after 2020, four-lane roads are built in the country at a cost of $1.3-1.5 million per kilometer, while the North-South road is two-lane.

According to him, despite significant financial investments, some work on the site remained unfinished, preventing the road from being fully operational due to safety concerns. However, authorities decided to temporarily open the road during the summer, given the traditionally lower risk of landslides and rockfalls.

«As you can see, rocks continue to fall. Therefore, I urge all drivers to exercise extreme caution. If possible, especially in rainy weather, please avoid driving on this road,» the president noted.

He also reported that the Ministry of Transport and Communications is currently working to address the deficiencies. Construction of five engineering structures is ongoing on the Barpy-Safarov section.

Another 44 protective engineering structures are planned, including eight avalanche galleries, 22 snow protection structures, 12 retaining walls, and two overpass bridges.

According to Sadyr Japarov, work is currently underway at three sites, and once contractors are fully engaged, construction will begin on nine more sections.

All engineering structures are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2027. The full commissioning of the alternative North-South road is expected in early 2028.

In conclusion, the head of state stated that the project has become a «symbol of corruption.»

A rockfall previously occurred between kilometers 243 and 296 of the road. Specialized road service equipment was dispatched to the site to mitigate the consequences. Traffic was later restored on the alternative North-South road following the rockfall. According to Ministry of Transport specialists, the rockfall was caused by rainy weather.