New section of East-West highway opens in Georgia

Georgia continues to improve regional connectivity and road transport efficiency by opening a new section of its major transport artery East-West Highway.

The 15 km Zestaponi-Kutaisi-Samtredia section of the East-West Highway opened today. The project is part of Georgia’s Spatial Arrangement Plan, which aims at modernising infrastructural development in the country.

Georgia's Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili together with representatives of Government of Japan. Photo by the PM's press office. 

Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, who attended the road opening ceremony in Georgia’s Imereti region, said that he hoped the region and especially its major city Kutaisi will become a major knot, which will connect east to west, north to south.

The projects that we have been implementing here - such as highways that will connect Kutaisi to Mestia and Tetnuldi resorts, to Abastumani and southern Georgia and East-West railway which will reach Kutaisi Airport, Kutaisi Technical University – all these project will turn this place as a real centre,” said Kvirikashvili.

The new section of East-West Highway is part of Georgia’s Spatial Arrangement Plan, which aims at modernising infrastructural development in the country. Photo by the PM's press office.

Kvirikashvili thanked all involved parties who contribute to developing the Zestaponi-Kutaisi-Samtredia section of the East-West Highway.

One of the major contributors to the project was the Government of Japan which provided

For the construction of the East-West Highway, the Government of Japan provided Yen Loan of ¥17,722,000,000 (about $2,601,891,051) and ¥4,410,000,000 (about $647,463,014) to the Government of Georgia through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).