On 30 September, the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Kazakhstan hosted the opening of the seminar “Quality Roads: From Planning to Operation”. The event brought together representatives of the Ministry of Transport, the Committee of Highways, relevant government agencies, local executive bodies and road sector organisations. The first day focused on road planning and design.
Birzhan Kaneshev, President of KazdorNII, presented an approach to road planning based on the entire life cycle of a road, from material selection to maintenance. The approach is supported by more than 40 regulatory documents developed with the Institute’s participation. Work on expanding and improving this regulatory framework is ongoing in 2026. New documents are being developed covering the repair and maintenance of asphalt and concrete roads, the use of geosynthetic materials, environmental protection and bridge structures.
One of the Institute’s key proposals was to introduce a legal requirement for preliminary project reviews. Reviewing design solutions and initial data at the planning stage would help identify potential risks early, prevent unnecessary design changes and avoid additional construction costs.
Participants were also introduced to the Unified Database of Road Construction Materials and New Technologies (RCMBase). The database, developed by the Institute, contains information on 231 quarries, 467 asphalt plants, 61 laboratories and more than 800 tested materials. It enables project teams to assess available regional resources and select materials and technologies that have already undergone practical testing before design work begins.
For bridge structures, KazdorNII proposed a unified system for assessing their technical condition. The system covers inspections, condition assessments, digital records and repair planning. Digital bridge passports provide a complete record of each structure throughout its service life, helping authorities plan maintenance in advance and reduce the risk of structural failures.
“A high-quality road is the result of sound decisions and effective management at every stage of its life cycle. The competence of the client is particularly important in this process. Professional development should be a continuous effort, combining training, internships and hands-on experience on actual projects. KazdorNII is ready to provide regional authorities with consulting services, technical guidance and practical support,” the Institute noted.
At the session dedicated to road design, Yerik Amirbayev, Vice President of KazdorNII, highlighted the importance of the design stage in ensuring road strength and durability. Errors in initial data and design solutions are often discovered only during construction, leading to design revisions, delays and increased costs. Similar pavement defects, such as cracking and rutting, can have different underlying causes, including inadequate pavement strength, excessive soil moisture and increased traffic loads. Therefore, repair methods should be selected based on diagnostic assessments and engineering surveys.
To address the specific needs of local and rural roads, KazdorNII and the Committee of Highways jointly revised the requirements for gravel roads under Construction Standard SP RK 3.03-101-2013, “Highways”. The Institute also presented a draft construction standard entitled “Typical Pavement Designs for Periodic Road Maintenance”. The document includes 34 tables outlining pavement strengthening options for roads in Categories I–V. The use of standard designs is expected to reduce design time, while site inspections and adaptation to local conditions will remain essential.
The transition to Building Information Modelling (BIM) was another key topic. From 1 August 2026, BIM became mandatory for bridges and tunnels measuring 100 metres or more in length. From 1 January 2028, the requirement will also apply to roads in Technical Categories I and II. To support this transition, the Institute developed Construction Standard VSP RK 11-001-2025.
KazdorNII proposes maintaining digital models throughout the entire life cycle of road infrastructure projects and ensuring their transfer from designers to clients, contractors and road maintenance organisations. Once construction is complete, the model data should be incorporated into the E-Joldar digital road passport.
The Institute also proposed changes to construction cost estimation procedures. These include introducing price indexation for outstanding construction and installation works, drawing on the experience of the Republic of Korea, and reviewing the reduction factor of 0.5 currently applied when calculating design costs for major road repairs.
The seminar will continue on 1 and 2 October, with KazdorNII specialists scheduled to speak at sessions on quality control, bridge maintenance and digitalisation in the road sector.