What is Happening at Upper Lars? Clarification

There are no queues at the Upper Lars border checkpoint, and the checkpoint is operating normally. This was reported to Sputnik Armenia by Vahan Hakobyan, the customs attaché of the Armenian Embassy in Russia.

Earlier, it was announced that large queues had formed on both sides of the border due to the start of the tourist season.

“Five hundred freight trucks have departed from Armenia towards Upper Lars. Some are currently located within Georgian territory, while others are undergoing customs clearance at the checkpoint,” Hakobyan stated.

He noted that around 150 Armenian freight trucks pass through customs at Upper Lars daily. The journey from Armenia to the Russian border takes 2-3 days for Armenian carriers.

It should be recalled that Georgia is constructing a road bypassing the most dangerous section of the Mtskheta–Stepantsminda–Lars highway (Gudauri–Kobi). This involves a nine-kilometer tunnel.

The project plans to build a 23-kilometer long double-layer concrete road, including 5 bridges and 5 tunnels. After the project's completion, vehicles will reach Stepantsminda (on the border with Russia) from Tbilisi in 1 hour and 45 minutes (currently, the journey takes 2 hours and 30 minutes). As a result, uninterrupted traffic will be ensured throughout the year.