Why Kazakhstan's roads deteriorate quickly: one of the reasons revealed

Tengrinews.kz — Overloaded trucks are accelerating road deterioration in Kazakhstan: over the first eight months of the year, around 1,000 vehicles weighing more than 200 tons were detected.

During the first eight months of 2026, KazAvtoZhol’s automated weighing stations recorded around 870,000 potential cases related to vehicles exceeding permitted weight limits.

Of these, about 139,000 involved vehicles weighing 50 tons or more, around 12,000 involved vehicles weighing at least 100 tons, and roughly 1,000 readings were recorded for vehicles weighing more than 200 tons.

KazAvtoZhol noted that systematic overloading leads to accelerated deterioration of road surfaces. Ruts, displacement and deformation appear on roads, while the intervals between repairs become shorter.

Photo: KazAvtoZhol

The problem is particularly acute on newly built and reconstructed highways. The state spends significant funds on road construction and modernization, but overloaded vehicles can substantially reduce the service life of the pavement.

Some drivers also try to bypass automated weighing stations by driving onto shoulders and service roads. On certain sections, barriers installed to prevent such detours have also been dismantled.

Photo: KazAvtoZhol

Since the beginning of 2026, three cases of fires at automated weighing station facilities have been recorded. KazAvtoZhol said it is taking measures to protect the equipment and prevent attempts to evade weight control.

The company stressed that the problem is not freight transport itself. Trucks ensure the delivery of goods and support industry, trade and transit. The issue is compliance with permitted vehicle weight and axle-load limits.

Carrying more cargo in a single trip may be profitable for an individual carrier, but such savings ultimately lead to additional spending on road repairs.