Advancing bridge management and safety in Tajikistan under the Technical Cooperation Project "Project for Capacity Development for Bridge Management"

JICA Expert team of "Project for Capacity Development for Bridge Management" has been conducting several activities in collaboration with Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Tajikistan. Three notable endeavors have recently underscored the Project team’s commitment to bridge management and safety, with a focus on knowledge dissemination, training, and collaboration.

From June 19 to 23, 2023, JICA Expert team conducted the first training course for bridge maintenance engineers in collaboration with Tajik Technical University (TTU). This course has brought together 44 participants, including 19 professionals from the Ministry of Transport, 12 TTU students, and 13 university instructors and managers. The course was structured into four levels: introductory, inspection, diagnosis/repair, and intermediate. JICA Expert team, in collaboration with members of the bridge management task force, served as instructors, providing attendees with a comprehensive learning experience that combined field training and lectures. On the final day, participants received certificates of completion. The whole event was filmed on video, ensuring that this valuable knowledge can benefit even more people in the future. In addition, the video was even broadcast nationwide on Tajikistan's national channel, reaching more aspiring engineers.

On July 12-14, the On the Job Training (OJT) for bridge inspections was held at Kulob State Enterprise for Transport Management (SETM) followed by Rasht SETM on July 19-21, 2023. Each training session combined classroom learning and field training over three days. The curriculum included fundamental bridge knowledge encompassing diverse bridge types, damage instances, collapsed bridge case studies and inspections.

Safety remained paramount throughout the training, with standard bridge types such as steel and reinforced concrete structures being the focal point. The significance of this training was evident in the enthusiastic feedback from the participants. The OJT format garnered praise, as participants expressed a desire for frequent OJT opportunities and an inclination towards repair-related OJT in the future.

On August 10-14, 2023, hearings were conducted with the Hissor and Bokhtar SETM to review the progress of data collection for bridge inventory and inspection which were started in February 2023. The objective of these hearings was to facilitate the sharing of experiences and address challenges faced by each SETM.

During these hearings, experts conducted on-site visits to observe bridge inspection activities conducted by the State Enterprise for Highway Maintenance (SEHM). The interactions revealed technical concerns related to bridge structures and operational challenges such as personnel turnover and transportation constraints. In response, innovative solutions were proposed, including the deployment of national staff for technical support and collaborative efforts with SETMs.

This initiative holds great significance as it strives to devise a medium-term maintenance and management strategy for bridges. The data collection process is pivotal for the Ministry of Transport, facilitating a comprehensive understanding of the managed bridges.