Damage to a section of the republican highway Kegen – Narynkol in Almaty Region has been recorded due to meltwater runoff. Traffic is temporarily restricted, and around 20 units of specialised equipment have been deployed to deal with the aftermath.
WHAT HAPPENED ON THE SECTION
According to the press service of KazAvtoZhol, the incident occurred on 3 April at 11:30 at the 20th kilometre of the road. The cause was a sharp rise in temperature, which triggered the runoff of mountain meltwater. As a result, a culvert was damaged and the roadbed was washed out.
The damage occurred while meltwater was being channelled through the existing infrastructure. It is reported that this section had not previously been considered at risk of flooding.
At the time of the incident, the road was under the maintenance of a contractor, as medium repairs were being carried out there.
HOW TRAFFIC IS ORGANISED
Vehicle traffic on the damaged section is temporarily restricted. A detour via a dirt road has been organised for passage.
At the same time, around 20 units of specialised equipment are being mobilised and deployed to stabilise the situation.
In the near future, construction of a temporary gravel-surfaced detour road is planned. The main restoration work — repairing the culvert and roadbed — will begin once the meltwater runoff has subsided.
MONITORING THE FLOOD SITUATION
Against the backdrop of the current situation, and ahead of the peak of the spring flood, the Pavlov Analytical Centre in partnership with Geobox and Giscarta has introduced a tool for monitoring water threats. This is the interactive flood forecasting map for spring 2026, which allows for visualising risk zones using a colour scale.
A video overview of the map is also available on YouTube, where the forecasting principles and possibilities for using the tool are discussed in detail.