All sections of Rikoti Pass will be safe, works carried out “according to plan” - Roads Department Chair

Giorgi Tsereteli, the Chair of the Roads Department of Georgia on Thursday said all sections of Rikoti Pass, a major crossing between eastern and western parts of Georgia, would be safe and all works were being carried out “according to the plan”.

Tsereteli responded to “negative” statements from domestic opposition, who alleged that the rehabilitation on the Pass was underway with “many violations”, and stressed that with these statements, the political groups “have been trying to instil fear in the public and discredit the mentioned project”, adding “Unfortunately, all the footage broadcasted in the media is old”.

Photo via Roads Department of Georgia

He emphasised that the construction and supervision companies of the Rikoti Pass project were selected through an international tender under the strict control of donors - the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the European Investment Bank.

The inspection of the construction project was carried out by international donor organisations and the post audit conclusion was positive. British, Australian, Italian experienced specialists participated in this process”, Tsereteli said, noting the project was supervised by French, Turkish and Korean supervisory companies.

Rehabilitation works are underway on 77 sections of the Rikoti Pass, Tsereteli noted, adding several geotechnical, geophysical and seismic studies had been conducted, based on which the design of the Pass was made.