First 2 km two-lane section of Rikoti Pass opens today
The new road section includes six bridges and three tunnels. Photo: Ministry of Infrastructure.
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The first 2 km two-lane section of the Rikoti Highway, a mountain pass which divides Georgia into its eastern and western parts, has opened today, announces the Ministry of Infrastructure.
Georgian Infrastructure Minister Irakli Karseladze said that currently traffic is open on two lanes of a 2 km four-lane section, while the construction of a parallel two-lane road is underway.
The new road section includes six bridges and three tunnels.
A total of 51.6 km of roads are planned to be built on the Rikoti Pass, which will include 96 bridges and 53 tunnels.
So far eight tunnels have already been carved.
Karseladze said that 80% of the Rikoti Pass project is in the active construction phase.
About 2.6 billion GEL will be spent on the construction of all roads on the Rikoti Pass.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili stated that the travel time from Tbilisi to Batumi will be just three hours by 2024 after the construction of 96 bridges and 53 tunnels will be completed on the Rikoti Pass. Currently the trip takes between five-six hours. Garibashvili noted that projects of such scale and complexity have not been implemented in the country.
In about 10 years construction of all highways will be completed in Georgia, households across the country will have unfettered access to water supply, all municipal landfills will be replaced by modern regional centers, regions will be socially and economically developed, municipalities will be strengthened and their capacities will increase, says Georgian Infrastructure Minister Irakli Karseladze at the presentation of the 10-year development plan today.
The European Investment Bank has provided an additional €106.7 million to upgrade two sections of Georgia's East-West (E60) highway, the country’s main road artery, and extend the motorway to the borders with Azerbaijan and Armenia.
The Khashuri bypass road, a new 13 km section of Georgia’s major transport artery, the East-West Highway, has opened today. The project aims to modernise the country’s infrastructural development, as well as to improve regional connectivity and road transport efficiency.
A 51-kilometer road connecting the two Georgian regions of Zemo Imereti and Racha has opened today, shortening the distance between the two regions by 80 km and reducing travelling time by 1.5 hours. The new road starts from the Sachkhere village and passes through seven villages. Finally the road joins the Ambrolauri-Oni road.
Construction works on 88 bridges and 51 tunnels are “actively underway” at the Rikoti Pass, a mountain section dividing Georgia into its eastern and western parts, the Roads Department announced on Tuesday.
The first and the fourth sections of the Samtredia-Grigoleti road in Georgia’s west, under the E60 highway, will open this year, Georgian Infrastructure Minister Irakli Karseladze announced on Wednesday.
Sections of the new Rikoti Pass road will be opened this year, with the construction of the new Rikoti Highway set to be completed in 2023, Infrastructure Minister Irakli Karseladze said on Wednesday.