Infrastructure Minister explains “unprecedentedly complex” works on Rikoti Pass infrastructure to Parliament

Georgian Infrastructure Minister Irakli Karseladze on Monday detailed “unprecedentedly complex” works on infrastructure at the Rikoti Pass - a major crossing between eastern and western parts of the country - to MPs in a session of the Sector Economy and Economic Policy Committee of the Parliament.

A 27-kilometre, four-lane section of Pass, with its 65 bridges and 38 tunnels, opened on Saturday, while the construction of 97 additional bridges and 51 tunnels are underway.

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Photo: Gov't Administration

Calling it the “most challenging and difficult” section of the country’s East-West International Highway, Karseladze said it was built in accordance with “international safety standards” and supervised and audited by international and domestic professionals.

In total, 140 specialists were involved in the design process, of which 56 were international, and 84 were local experts [...] In addition to the fact that experienced design organisations were involved in the process, the project prepared by them was audited by independent specialists of international financial institutions - including French, Italian, Australian, and Austrian - and only after their confirmation was the Rikoti project approved”, he told lawmakers.

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Photo: Gov't Administration

He added the project was “unprecedented” for Georgia in its “importance and complexity”.

Fifty-one tunnels and 97 bridges are being built on the Rikoti Pass. The total length of the tunnels is 33.6 km, and the length of the bridges is more than 21 km. Among them, today, parallel to the longest tunnel in Georgia, a new 1,800-metre tunnel is under construction. Also the longest bridge in Georgia, with the length of 1,362 metres, is built on Rikoti. In addition, there will be 1,640-metre-long tunnels on the Pass”, Karseladze said.

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Photo: Gov't Administration

The Infrastructure Minister said “large-scale geological works” were carried out on the Rikoti Pass, involving the drilling of about 300 wells with the total distance of more than 6,100 metres. 

For the equipment to reach specific locations and to carry out geological studies, up to three kilometres of access roads were dug and full-spectrum laboratory studies were carried out. Geological works on the kilometre 52 section of the Rikoti Road were carried out for nine months. In order to determine the structure of rocks and their physical and mechanical characteristics, geophysical studies were also carried out”, Karseladze said.

The Minister said an environmental impact assessment document had also been prepared for all four sections of the Pass and audited by consultants hired by international financial institutions, which then also approved it.

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Twenty-three environmental experts are involved in the Rikoti project, including environmental protection specialists of contractors and international supervisory companies, independent environmental protection consultants and specialists of the [Roads Department of Georgia] and international financial institutions”, Karseladze added.

Irakli Karseladze speaking at the Sector Economy and Economic Policy Committee of the Parliament. Photo: Ministry of Infrastructure

The official also highlighted the role of supervision of works on the Pass, noting 146 “experienced specialists” - 99 domestic and 47 international - were involved in the supervision of the project while it was also undergoing annual financial audits by the Big Four auditing companies - Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, and Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler.

The Rikoti Pass project is due to be completed next year.