In 2023, Kazakhstan started a large-scale revision of road regulations and standards, which will be completed by 2026. The main task is to form a modern regulatory base that complies with global trends and safety requirements.

A key step was the development of a document "Regulatory Documents of the Road Industry ”. The industry-specific regulatory documents define the goals, principles and structure of the technical regulation system, regulate the procedure for the development, coordination and approval of regulatory documents, as well as the requirements for their design and application.

The main emphasis in the future new structure of regulatory documents is placed on ensuring the safety and quality of roads at all phases of their life cycle. At the same time, special attention is paid to revision of the objectives of industry-specific regulatory documents and their transfer from the status of recommendations to the status of mandatory (if necessary) and voluntary.

The updating of standards is dictated by significant changes in the road industry over the last half century, including a multiple growth of the vehicle fleet, increased traffic intensity and loads on transportation networks.

**"People want more modern, safe, fast and wide roads. That is why in the 21st century it is no longer possible to build according to the old rules. In addition, the world's scientific and technological progress has advanced a lot. New materials, technologies and tools for the road industry have appeared, which cannot be ignored. Without them further progress and improvement of road quality and safety is impossible. Therefore, today it is necessary to legalize them by changing the outdated norms”, says Andrei Zhen, Director of the Standardization Department of KazdorNII.

He added that the norms and requirements set in regulatory documents should correspond to the level of material, technical and human resources available to the state and reflect its current capabilities.

For example, Kazakhstan is already ready to introduce from 2025 the technology “Superpave”, which has successfully proven itself in more than 120 countries, including the U.S., Canada, China and the Russian Federation, proving its effectiveness in creating durable road pavements resistant to various climatic conditions and heavy traffic. In this regard, KazdorNII has developed three new national standards that take into account the climatic characteristics of the country's regions.

The data on temperature fluctuations over the last 20 years observed by the scientists of the Institute will form the basis for the introduction of “Superpave” and will help in making decisions on the use of modified polymer-bitumen binders that provide higher quality roads. *Experts note that the reform of industry standards has affected the whole world, driven by climate change, increased pressure on transport infrastructure and growing traffic flows. Today, all developed countries are striving for a gradual transition to international standards, which helps to unify approaches and improve the quality of road networks.