Video: Yerevan's 5th Major Bridge Nearly Completed

The 5th major bridge in Yerevan, constructed over the Hrazdan River, is nearly complete with a length of 252 meters and a width of 28 meters. It is the most crucial and responsible structure in the new road connecting the northern and southern entrances of the capital.

For the first time, Yerevan's Mayor Hrachya Sargsyan crossed the new bridge alongside the builders. This was reported by the Yerevan Municipality.

Construction is progressing vigorously on the Babajanyan-Ashtarak and Argavand-Shirak sections, which are part of Yerevan's western circular road. The total length of the Babajanyan-Ashtarak section is 9.4 km with an average width of 24m. It features 7 lanes and one transportation hub at the intersection of New Silikyan street.

The Argavand-Shirak section spans 2.7 km with an average width of 26 m. It includes a metal bridge constructed over the Hrazdan River as well as one lane at the intersection of Isakov-Babajanyan streets.

“There has been quite good cooperation with the French design organization, Spanish and Georgian companies, as well as our local contractors. I should also note that we are getting quite good results, and the work is proceeding as planned without any issues. We expect to fully open it by May. As a result, we will have one overall road that will allow us to bypass the central streets of Yerevan,” the Mayor stated.

“We have almost completed the bridge construction. It is consistent with European standards. I can confidently say that it will be safer than the existing road and, importantly, significantly reduce the travel time for drivers moving from Argavand to Shirak. I am very proud that we are bringing this major project to completion. It was very challenging to work under conditions of COVID and wartime, but thanks to a good team and collaborative effort, we achieved results,” said Pierre Maurice, head of the overseeing organization.

The implementation of this important project was as responsible for the builders as it was for the city authorities. During road construction, there were some concerns from certain citizens. Changes were made to the project based on their suggestions.

“All large-scale constructions entail certain difficulties, and in the case of this road section, it was impossible to carry out the work without changes to traffic organization. I thank our fellow citizens for their patience; the project has been implemented, and the road has been constructed. In a few months, the road will be open for operation, and everyone will feel how easy it is to travel via the new road,” said Vardan Karapetyan, a technical specialist of the City Sustainable Development Investment Program.

In order to relieve traffic from transport flows, the municipality is currently examining various programs and projects, including road construction, bus fleet replenishment, the creation of a transport coordination center, and traffic light management. Negotiations are already ongoing with the government to construct another road segment at Arshakunyats-Isakov.

“At this moment, we are negotiating with Siemens to soon implement a trial system for the joint management of traffic lights at several intersections, and if all goes well, we will start moving forward in phases. As part of transportation reforms, we have already completed some work and continue to implement it. I believe that the tender for the acquisition of European-made buses will be held soon, and we expect them to be in Yerevan by 2022. I think these programs will allow us to transform Yerevan into a pedestrian-friendly and comfortable city for its citizens,” emphasized Hrachya Sargsyan.

The new road, built with funding from the second tranche of the City Sustainable Development Investment Program, will have a total length of 23 km. It will establish continuous traffic connections between the Davtashen, Ajapnyak, Malatia-Sebastia, and Shengavit administrative districts.