Georgia plans to build more than 20 roads by 2024, one of which is expected to become an alternative compact corridor from Armenia to Russia, Public Radio correspondent Gita Elibekyan reports from Tbilisi.
The road from the border with Armenia, from the Sadakhlo checkpoint to the border with Russia, will allow Yerevan to become part of the East-West European Highway. Georgia has recently received a loan from the European Investment Bank for the construction of a new road leading to the Armenian border.
Tbilisi starts construction of new Algeti-Sadakhlo road postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The road will halve the time needed to reach Russia.
It will bypass Marneuli and other surrounding settlements, becoming a new transit route for cargo transportation from Armenia to Russia. It will join the project of the century, the East-West Highway (E-60), which is the second largest European transit corridor.
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“There will be a modern road in the territory of Georgia from the border with Armenia to the border with Russia. The project is unprecedented for both Georgia and Armenia,” says Paata Tsagareishvili, Director of the Transport Corridor Research Center. He believes it will facilitate the cargo transportation and contribute to the development of tourism in Georgia.
In Georgia, the construction of both the East-West highway and the North-South road is under way. According to political scientist Giorgi Gobridze, Georgia will try to maintain its transit role in the conditions of new realities in the region.
“These infrastructures significantly shorten the distance between countries and make traffic even safer. Algeti-Sadakhlo plays an important role for both countries. In general, Georgia is interested in improving economic relations with Armenia and all other neighboring countries, and that is what it is doing today,” Gobridze says.
