New Road from Armenia to Russia: When Will It Be Built?

The Georgian authorities will sign an agreement in a few days for the construction of a 23-kilometer bypass road from Kvesheti to Kobi, leading to the border with Russia, with construction set to begin by the end of this year. Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze made this statement to reporters on Tuesday during the presentation of six months of work results from the Department of Highways of the Ministry of Regional Development, according to tass.ru.

“In a few days, the document will be signed, and by the end of the year, work will begin on the historically significant project of the Kobi-Gudauri (Kvesheti-Kobi) expressway. This will be one of the most complex engineering structures in Europe, featuring one of the longest tunnels,” said the Prime Minister.

The 23-kilometer road will have a dual-layer asphalt concrete surface, and it will include the construction of six bridges and five tunnels, one of which will reach a length of 9 kilometers. Compared to the old highway, the new road will reduce travel time by 20 minutes, bringing it down to just one hour.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has allocated a loan of $415 million for the construction of the road. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development will contribute $60 million, and the Georgian government will provide an additional $83.6 million.