- WATCH: Development Follows the Road in Mongolia's Western Region
- ADB provided $404 million for the construction of nearly 380 km of a road crossing Mongolia's Western region from north to south.
- New road linking Mongolia to Russia and the People's Republic of China facilitates trade and improves people's living standards.
A new road is now bringing economic growth and social development to a remote part of Mongolia.
The Asian Development Bank provided $404 million for the construction of nearly 380 km of the road crossing the Western part of the country from north to south.
The average vehicle speed was doubled to 80 km per hour, cutting down travel times dramatically, facilitating trade, strengthening Mongolia’s links with its neighboring countries, and also changing people’s lives for the better.
Transcript
Western Mongolia - A new road is now bringing economic growth and social development to a remote part of the country.
ADB provided $404 million for the construction of nearly 380 km of the road crossing the country from north to south.
The average vehicle speed was doubled to 80 km per hour, cutting down travel times dramatically.
“From our city of Khovd to the Bulgan dry port is 450-500 kms,” says Galsandondog Damdin, who was Governor of the Khvod Province from July 2016 to September 2018.
“Before the road was built, it used to take 14-17 hours to reach the Bulgan dry port. The same journey now takes 4 hours, and this has brought benefits to the people in the region.”
“The road was built following international standards in terms of quality and dimensions,” former Governor Damdin adds.
“The road signs now also conform to international standards.”
The increase in traffic along the road is bringing economic growth and social development to the area.
“We are not just saving time thanks to the new road, but also money,” says Yagaantsetseg Gaav, a shop owner from the Altai soum.
“The road condition has improved and vehicles do not need as much maintenance.
“People in our province have higher living standards and more opportunities thanks to the new road,” she adds.
“As the saying goes, development follows the road. Roads bring development.”
The road is also promoting regional cooperation and integration.
“The beauty of this project is that, in addition to the impact it has to be beneficiaries living along the road, it also has a bigger regional impact,” says Yolanda Fernandez Lommen, who heads ADB’s Resident Mission in Mongolia.
“Thanks to this road that connects Mongolia with Russia and the People’s Republic of China, Mongolia has an opportunity to search for bigger markets. This is important for Mongolian exports because it will reduce logistics costs,” she adds.
“It will also reduce transportation time and it will make Mongolian exports more competitive in the region in addition to facilitating the transport of these goods and services.”
The Western regional road is strengthening Mongolia’s links with its neighboring countries and also changing people’s lives for the better.
