Since the beginning of May 2026, several cars have been damaged on the Almaty — Khorgos highway due to deformation of concrete slabs on the carriageway. According to journalist Mikhail Kozachkov, one of the key reasons for the rapid wear and tear of roads is overloaded heavy dump trucks, and changes in the freight transport sector are needed to solve the problem.
WHAT HAPPENED ON THE ALMATY — KHORGOS HIGHWAY
As journalist Mikhail Kozachkov reported on his Telegram channel “Kozachkov offside”, videos appeared on social media showing damaged cars, including a Geländewagen SUV which had its fuel tank punctured.
According to him, the incidents were caused by concrete slabs laid on the road. In certain places, they crack and lift up, causing damage to vehicles. The journalist noted that similar cases occur not only on this highway but also on other roads across the country.
HOW MUCH REVENUE DO TOLL ROADS GENERATE
According to data cited by Mikhail Kozachkov, the national company “KazAvtoZhol” receives around 90 billion tenge per year from the operation of toll roads.
At the same time, as noted in the publication, all the funds received are directed towards road repairs, and the state annually allocates significant sums for the construction of new sections and the reconstruction of existing ones. The article states that this involves trillions of tenge.
WHY ROADS WEAR OUT QUICKLY
According to the author of the publication, the main burden on the road surface is caused by heavy trucks and dump trucks weighing 25 and 40 tonnes, which are used on roads not designed for such loads.
It is also claimed that some carriers operate 40-tonne dump trucks with an actual load of 60 to 90 tonnes. Automatic weighing systems are supposed to monitor such violations, but, as the journalist notes, they do not work effectively enough.
In his assessment, the consequences are felt not only by drivers on intercity highways but also by city residents, as heavy equipment also moves along urban streets.
WHAT ARE THE ESTIMATED REPAIR COSTS
The publication provides a calculation according to which the average cost of repairing one kilometre of road is about 150 million tenge.
Based on this data, the annual cost of restoring road infrastructure could reach 1.2–1.8 trillion tenge.
WHAT MEASURES DID THE JOURNALIST PROPOSE
As possible solutions, Mikhail Kozachkov proposed increasing the per-tonne-kilometre tariff to make the use of lighter trucks with a capacity of 15 tonnes economically viable.
Furthermore, he advocated for restricting the use of 40-tonne dump trucks on public roads and proposed reorienting domestic manufacturers towards producing vehicles with lower load capacities, as well as introducing restrictions on the import of 25- and 40-tonne dump trucks.