Infrastructure Minister rejects “artificial fear” around Rikoti Highway construction as “groundless”
Karseladze also responded to “false allegations” from the opposition with regards to the construction companies and said none of the four contractors involved in the construction had been on sanctions lists at the time of the signing of their contracts. Photo: Ministry of Infrastructure
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Georgian Infrastructure Minister Irakli Karseladze on Monday rejected what he called “artificial fear and tension” around the construction of the Rikoti Highway in central Georgia as “groundless”, following claims by a part of the domestic opposition about environmental issues of the project and possibility of selection of contractor companies under international sanctions.
Karseladze said an environmental impact assessment had been prepared for “all four sections” of the Highway and “approved by international financial institutions”, adding 23 environmental experts, independent consultants, departmental specialists and professionals from contractor and international supervisor companies were involved in the works.
He noted traffic had been switched to a “special mode” on the kilometre 149 section of the Highway due to a threat of landslide detected by monitoring, adding “everything” had been done in advance to “reduce the danger as much as possible” and pledging traffic was safe from risks in the location.
Karseladze also responded to “false allegations” from the opposition with regards to the construction companies and said none of the four contractors involved in the construction had been on sanctions lists at the time of the signing of their contracts.
He pointed out selections of contractors were made using sanctions lists by international institutions financing projects in question, instead of sanctions lists of individual countries or other organisations.
The Minister emphasised “no contract” had been signed with any sanctioned company according to procedures of international financial institutions, and noted all four companies had “fully complied” with specifications for the bids.
He also explained the Highway works featured FIDIC-type contracts, different from ordinary deals for Government agreements, and added the documents represented requirements for international financial institutions' tender documentations.
Georgian Infrastructure Minister Irakli Karseladze on Friday called the “false” accusations by the domestic opposition on the financial statements regarding the construction of Rikoti Highway “absolute nonsense” and said the International Financial Institution carried out money transfers itself.
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”.
The special traffic mode on the Rikoti Pass crossing between the eastern and western parts of Georgia will be lifted before the start of the summer season, Georgia’s Infrastructure Minister Irakli Karseladze announced on Tuesday.
Georgian Infrastructure Minister Irakli Karseladze on Tuesday said the landslide risks observed last month on the kilometre 149 section of the Rikoti Pass, a major crossing between the western and eastern parts of the country, had not been caused by the construction works on a new highway through the Pass.
Construction of the new Rikoti Highway is set to be completed this year, the Roads Department of Georgia said on Monday while rejecting media reports that suggested the work had been delayed from its original deadline of 2022.
Vehicle traffic on Rikoti Pass, a major crossing between eastern and western parts of Georgia, was restored on Saturday under a “special regime”, with the recommendation of specialists, the Roads Department of Georgia said.
Georgian Railway has resumed operation of its services from Tbilisi to the cities of Batumi and Borjomi after a rockfall in the capital city hit rail tracks in the Didube-Avchala district on Thursday.
Traffic restrictions for light and passenger vehicles that had been imposed since April have been lifted at the Rikoti Pass, a major crossing between the eastern and western parts of Georgia, starting today.