New 15 km section of East-West highway opens in Georgia
The Infrastructure Ministry said with the opening of the new sections, the movement of road transport would significantly improve, both in terms of safety and time reduction and noted transport would move on a 4-lane road under the international road safety standard, which would cut travel time on the 15 km section in half. Photo: Infrastructure Ministry
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The two sections of the Samtredia-Grigoleti and Grigoleti-Kobuleti roads in Georgia’s west, in total 15 km of the East-West highway, were opened on Saturday, the Georgian Infrastructure Ministry announced.
With the financial support of the European Investment Bank, which allocated ₾113 million (about $42 mln), a 10 km long 4-lane asphalt-concrete road, two parallel overpasses and one traffic junction were built on the 10 km section of the Samtredia-Grigoleti road, which passes through Lanchkhuti municipality and joins the Samtredia-Lanchkhuti-Grigoleti road.
Photo: Infrastructure Ministry
A 5 km section of 14 km Grigoleti-Kobuleti road was also opened, regarding which the Chairman of the Georgian Roads Department Giorgi Tsereteli said that due to technological processes, certain works would be continued and the completion of the remaining six and three km sections was planned for 2023.
The construction works of the Grigoleti-Kobuleti bypass road, with the EIB’s financial support of ₾228 million (about $86 mln), include the construction of a 14.4 km 4-lane asphalt-concrete road, 22 bridge crossings, four traffic junctions, water pipes and underground exits, through which the Samtredia-Grigoleti road will be connected to the Kobuleti bypass road.
The Infrastructure Ministry said with the opening of the new sections, the movement of road transport would significantly improve, both in terms of safety and time reduction and noted transport would move on a 4-lane road under the international road safety standard, which would cut travel time on the 15 km section in half.
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.
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.
Georgia is currently building 140 kilometers of new large highways, of which a total of 70 km roads will be opened by the end of 2020, says Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia.
Georgian Finance Minister and vice-president of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have signed a $343 million agreement today to help Georgia develop its major transport artery, the East-West Highway.
A new 6 km highway section has been added to the 5 km section of the Grigoleti-Kobuleti road in Georgia’s west, which was opened last year, the country’s Infrastructure Ministry announced on Tuesday.