BRT for 39.9 billion in Almaty: plans changed again

Tengrinews.kz — The Raiymbek Avenue BRT project, previously valued at 39.9 billion tenge, is undergoing further changes. Portions of the work will be paused to accommodate the future SkyTrain. Tengrinews.kz investigates the current status of one of the city's major transport initiatives.
39.9 billion tenge project faces new revisions
The Raiymbek Avenue BRT was initially estimated at 39.9 billion tenge. The 16.5-kilometer line was designed to feature dedicated lanes and new stations, with buses planned to run in the center of the roadway on some sections and along the curbs on others.
Note:BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) is a high-speed bus system where vehicles travel in dedicated lanes, reducing dependence on traffic congestion and ensuring adherence to schedules.
Raiymbek Avenue BRT Renders / Photo: gov.kz / April 2025
The Department of Road Infrastructure Development has now announced that the project is being adjusted again. Specialists, in coordination with the police, are reviewing the traffic flow scheme for the entire avenue.
"We are considering the organization of dedicated public transport lanes along the curbs for the entire length of Raiymbek Avenue," the department stated.
This means the final BRT layout has not yet been approved by the authorities.
In March 2026, the Akimat expected to complete the 16.5-kilometer BRT line by the end of November. At that time, the project was estimated to be 37 percent complete. However, the department is now providing no specific timeline for completion.
BRT on hold for SkyTrain
The department reported that the future Almaty SkyTrain is planned to be integrated with the BRT infrastructure.

"Due to the need to synchronize the implementation timelines of interconnected transport projects, certain activities provided for by the BRT project will be temporarily suspended during the implementation of the Almaty SkyTrain project," the department said.

Officials explained that the city wants to avoid a situation where recently constructed infrastructure would have to be rebuilt again..
Note:The issue of dismantling began back in the spring. On May 20, traffic management expert Elzhan Chupekov was the first to report at a Regional Communications Service briefing that parts of the Raiymbek BRT might be taken down. On June 24, the Department of Road Infrastructure Development clarified that the changes were related to the future SkyTrain. At that time, authorities announced they would dismantle BRT elements on the section from Utgen Batyr Street to Yemtsov Street.
Dismantling remains ongoing
In a recent response, the department stated that work is still underway on the section between Utgen Batyr and Yemtsov.
"Dismantling work is being carried out at the expense of the general contractor. At the same time, payment for the construction and installation work actually performed on the specified section has not been made to date," the agency stated.
It is currently unknown how many more elements will need to be removed. This will be determined once specialists approve the updated traffic scheme.
The future of the Raiymbek BRT
Following the adjustments, authorities must determine exactly where the dedicated lanes will remain, which sections will be dismantled, what the final cost of the BRT will be, and when work will resume.
According to the response, the city is not abandoning the BRT itself. The department emphasized that high-speed bus corridors will continue to be developed.
Meanwhile, authorities plan to start SkyTrain construction in 2027. In June, it was revealed that the future monorail is intended to run, among other routes, along Raiymbek Avenue, and by October, the city had already begun preparatory work on the project..
Timeline of changing plans for Raiymbek BRT
Initially, the Akimat intended to complete the Raiymbek BRT by the end of 2025. However, in November 2025, authorities admitted they would not finish on time and pushed the completion date to 2026, citing prolonged land acquisition as the reason.

On December 25, 2025, the department announced a new deadline of late August 2026. At that point, the project was estimated at 31 percent completion.
On March 5, 2026, the deadline was pushed back again—this time to the end of November 2026. By then, BRT completion had reached 37 percent. The cost of the 16.5-kilometer line was estimated at 39.9 billion tenge.

Now, as of October, authorities are not providing a completion date. The traffic scheme is being revised, part of the work will be temporarily suspended, and the BRT cost will be recalculated once specialists agree on the new solutions.
Our editors will continue to monitor the situation.