Roads Department professionals working to clear snowfall-affected roads around country, restore traffic

Professionals of the Roads Department of Georgia are carrying out intensive road clearing works around the country to clear snowfall-affected roads and restore the traffic “as soon as possible”, the state body said on Sunday.

The body noted that due to difficult meteorological conditions, such as intense snowfall, blizzard and limited visibility, the Department had mobilised snow-clearing equipment and had been using technical salt to de-ice roads.

Because of avalanche danger, traffic movement for all types of motor vehicles is prohibited on the Gudauri-Kobi section of eastern Mtskheta-Stepantsminda-Larsi route and the Koda-Partskhisi-Manglisi-Tsalka-Ninotsminda state route. The movement of vehicles is not allowed on the 90-112 kilometre section of the Akhaltsikhe-Ninotsminda highway as well.

The movement of trailers and semi-trailers is also restricted on the Sachkhere-Uzunta-Shkmeri-Zudali highway in the central-western part of the country and on the 39-52 km section of the Kutaisi-Tkibuli-Ambrolauri highway, as well as on the Gomi-Sachkhere-Chiatura-Zestaponi highway.

Traffic for trailers, semi-trailers and buses with a capacity of more than 30 seats is prohibited on several sections of the Zugdidi-Jvari-Mestia-Lasdili highway and for motor vehicles the movement is permitted using anti-skid chains.

The Department said that as a result of the intensive clearing works, traffic movement was restored on the Khashuri-Akhaltsikhe-Vale international road leading to the south-western border with Turkey and on the 37-49 km section of the Vaziani-Gombori-Telavi road in eastern Kakheti region.