Samarkand–Bukhara Toll Road: What the President Ordered and Where a Supplier Fits In
The president ordered master plans for a toll road and a new railway between Samarkand and Bukhara to be completed, with partner talks to start.
The president has ordered the completion of master plans for two transport projects between Samarkand and Bukhara and the start of talks with partners. These are a toll road with a cement-concrete surface and a new high-speed railway line. The road is expected to cut travel time from five hours to one and a half. The news was reported on 4 November by Spot.uz, Gazeta.uz, Daryo.uz and Kun.uz, the same day the president discussed Bukhara transport plans, including flights to Malaysia, Indonesia, Egypt and Kuwait.
This is not yet a tender or a procurement — it is preparation: master plans, partner talks, choosing a financing model. But this is exactly when the pool of future contracts takes shape, from surveys and design to material supply and operation. A toll road with cement concrete and a high-speed railway require different skill sets, and a supplier should figure out early which one it can compete in.
What this means for suppliers
Winners will come from construction, equipment and machinery supply, energy, transport and logistics, and consulting and design. The road project will need cement, concrete mixes, geosynthetics, road machinery, toll collection systems and lighting. The railway will need rails, sleepers, catenary, signalling and rolling stock. Another layer is security, cleaning, catering and IT infrastructure during construction and operation.
It is too early to say exactly when tenders will appear: master plans must be ready and agreements with partners reached first. But it makes sense to prepare now — qualifications, experience on similar projects, financial statements and an electronic digital signature should be in order before the competition is announced, not after.
According to TenderLabs data as of 4 November 2026, the Construction sector has 2,404 open lots — the largest pool among all sectors. Equipment and Machinery has 911 lots, Energy 851, and Transport and Logistics 228. These figures show where procurement activity is actually happening now; they do not guarantee that the lots relate to this specific project.
What to do now
- 1Check which of your skills fit road or railway construction, and put together a portfolio of similar projects — with volumes, timelines and clients.
- 2Get your electronic digital signature and registration in the public procurement system in order: without them you cannot participate when the competition is announced.
- 3Prepare financial statements for recent years and documents on your material and technical base — a standard set for qualification selection.
- 4Set up procurement monitoring in TenderLabs for the Construction, Equipment and Machinery, Energy, and Transport and Logistics sectors so you don't miss the first lots.
- 5If you work with imported materials or machinery, calculate logistics and currency risks in advance — delivery timelines for such projects are long.
Photo: Spot.uz