Gishtkuprik border crossing with Kazakhstan to reopen by year-end

Gishtkuprik border crossing with Kazakhstan to reopen by year-end

The Customs Committee said the reopening will let freight trucks resume crossing through the checkpoint.

Freight traffic will also start moving through the Navoi border crossing. These steps are meant to relieve pressure on other crossings and cut queues near the Yallama checkpoint.

In September, more than 9,200 trucks went through the Syrdarya crossing, which works out to about one truck every four minutes. Freight traffic through the checkpoint has risen by 10% over the past year.

To spread out the traffic, the Malik–Syrdarya and Ok Oltin–Tselinny crossings are set to operate 24/7 and be granted international status. This is expected to reduce the burden on the Yallama and Syrdarya crossings by as much as 30%.

Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have agreed to expand round-the-clock operations at the two crossings as part of efforts to ease congestion along the border.

The Gishtkuprik checkpoint, also known as Chernyaevka, was shut down for reconstruction on February 5, 2025. The project was originally supposed to last four months and involved the temporary removal of buildings, landscaping, and the development of infrastructure in the surrounding area.

The reason for the delay has not been disclosed.

In April, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin said the Gishtkuprik crossing on the Uzbek side and Zhibek Zholy on the Kazakh side were expected to reopen in September. However, the reopening has since been delayed until the end of 2026.