NUR-SULTAN, May 6 (Xinhua) -- With bulldozers and excavators roaring, Chinese and Kazakh construction workers wearing face masks are digging roadside canals and building an intersection that is to link nearby villages to a ring road.
After four weeks of suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ancillary work resumed at the ring road in the Kazakh capital of Nur-Sultan.
The southwest section of the road is being built by China Xinxing Construction and development Co. Ltd (Xinxing Construction) as the general constructor.
Jian Lei, 31, is the vice production manager of the project. Since the project reopened in early May, he has been busy at the construction site spanning 18 km, inspecting the implementation of anti-epidemic and safety measures, solving problems on site while tracking construction progress.
Jian said the suspension of flights between China and Kazakhstan has left the project understaffed. And he has postponed his wedding twice, as he was unable to return home.
"The Chinese staff here didn't complain about the difficulties and have done their best to make up the time," said Jian.
Zhao Yuedou, general manager of the Kazakh branch of Xinxing Construction, told Xinhua that the company has made an emergency response to the novel coronavirus pandemic at all three construction sites across Kazakhstan. Strict measures including temperature checks and frequent deep-cleaning for workplace have been put in place.
"If the epidemic does not rebound, all ancillary work could be finished in three months. By August, the section of the ring road would be officially handed over to the Kazakh side," said Zhao.
Kazakhstan has eased some quarantine restrictions since the end of April and pushed for resumption of business in some industries. Construction is among the first sectors to reopen.
"Epidemiological situation of COVID-19 in Kazakhstan has shown signs of stabilization over the past two weeks. The lockdown measures should be gradually eased," said Kazakh Chief State Sanitary Doctor Aizhan Yesmagambetova on Monday.
More than 4,200 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in the Central Asian country, with 29 deaths, as of Wednesday. Enditem
