Irkeshtam

Irkeshtam ( Kyrgyz / Russian Иркештам, for other transcriptions Irkeshtam or Irkeštam ) is a place in Kyrgyz Osh region, located east of the Alai Valley immediately prior to the Kyrgyz- Chinese border in 2940 m height. Irkeshtam has about 400 inhabitants.

Places nearby are 6 km south west Nura, which was destroyed on 6 October 2008 by an earthquake, and Ikisjak 13 kilometers away.

Border crossing to China

After 165 km north-eastern Torugart pass the border crossing is the second most important road connection between Kyrgyzstan and China in Irkeshtam. The border town on the Chinese site is called Sumhana and is located in the county in the district Ulugqat Kizilsu in Xinjiang. After 55 miles and after crossing the 2931 m high Karabel Pass you reach the city Ulugqat.

Irkeshtam represents the eastern end of the European Route 60 represents that leads from Tajikistan Coming through the Alai valley and Sarytasch where the E 60 M 41 - highway intersects Osh in the Fergana Valley on the Tschyiyrtschyk Pass, the Taldyk Pass and on the other hand connects through the Kyzyl -Art pass with Gorno-Badakhshan in Tajikistan. From Sarytasch to the east of the 3723 m high Irkeshtam pass to be crossed before the E 60 78 km to Sarytasch at the Kyrgyz- Chinese border ends.

Due to poor infrastructure, snow, border formalities and the partly closed border crossing ( long lunch ) can be difficult onward travel to China. Except for the Ostanstieg to the pass, where the road is under construction, the route is newly built from Sarytasch and in very good condition. The Asian Development Bank provided 32.8 million dollars for the expansion of the 124 km road between Osh and Irkeshtam available. Since 2006, worked on the project. The road on the Chinese side after Kashgar is also in good condition.

The pass was opened after the Sino-Soviet rift in the early 1960s until 1998 and again until 2002, however, only for goods traffic. Today cross per month on average a thousand vehicles, the limit is Irkeshtam; the border is open around the clock, but inspections are rare. Kyrgyz vehicles is not possible to enter China, they have the mounted export goods, mainly scrap unload before the border, where they are picked up by Chinese drivers.