President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov has signed a Decree establishing the Ministry of Highways of Turkmenistan. The document, signed on 13 February 2026 during an expanded meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers, is aimed at significantly improving the management of the country’s road sector.
According to the text of the Decree published on the official TDH website, it has been decided to abolish the State Agency for Management of Highway Construction. A new ministry — the Ministry of Highways of Turkmenistan — is being created on its basis. The newly established ministry becomes the full legal successor of the abolished agency, meaning that all rights, obligations, property, and liabilities are transferred to the new body.
The Decree outlines specific steps for the organizational formation of the new ministry. Within one month, the Ministry of Highways, together with the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population, and the Ministry of Adalat (Justice), is instructed to prepare and submit to the Cabinet of Ministers the following documents:
- draft Regulation on the Ministry of Highways of Turkmenistan;
- structure of the central apparatus;
- staffing table and salary levels for the ministry’s leadership;
- proposals for introducing the necessary amendments and additions to the current legislation of Turkmenistan.
Hangeldi Kerimov has been appointed Minister of Highways of Turkmenistan. In September 2024, he was appointed Chairman of the State Agency for Management of Highway Construction and held this position until the establishment of the ministry.
It should be noted that the reorganization of the road sector is taking place against the backdrop of the ongoing development of the country’s transport system. In 2025, separate ministries of railway and motor transport were already established (the latter being responsible for passenger and freight transportation), and structures for air and sea transport were also reorganized.
The creation of a separate ministerial-level body specifically for highways underscores the priority that Turkmenistan attaches to the modernization and expansion of the road network. In recent years, the country has been actively implementing major infrastructure projects: high-speed motorways (such as the Ashgabat–Turkmenabat autobahn), highways (Turkmenbashi–Garabogaz–Kazakhstan border), which form part of international transport corridors, as well as numerous bridges and overpasses.
Transforming the former agency into a full-fledged ministry is expected to increase management efficiency, accelerate program implementation, and ensure a higher level of coordination of all related activities.
The newly established Ministry of Highways will focus specifically on the construction, reconstruction, maintenance, and operation of the road network.
The total length of paved roads in Turkmenistan is approximately 14,000 kilometers. ///nCa, 14 February 2026