South Korea's state-run expressway corporation said Wednesday that a local company won a contract to build and operate a highway rest area in Uzbekistan.

Korea Expressway Corp. said the rest area will be built on the 300-kilometer-long highway connecting Tashkent and Samarkand.

The unidentified Korean company will build the 99,000-square-meter rest area and retain operational rights over the facility for 50 years.

It said Uzbek operators wanted a tie-up with other South Korean companies with experience in this field so they could acquire know-how.

The rest area will have Korean-style buildings and handle products shipped from South Korea that are expected to appeal to locals.

The deal was reached after regional government officials from the Central Asian country visited South Korea in November and toured highway rest areas.

The contract follows four rest areas that have opened for business in China starting last year, and operated by a local expressway rest area association. (Yonhap News)