Improving road connections in Georgia from East to West
Aiming to develop the nation as a regional and logistics hub, the Government of Georgia are progressing upgrades to essential transport links including...
Aiming to develop the nation as a regional and logistics hub, the Government of Georgia are progressing upgrades to essential transport links including the East West Highway (EWH). SMEC ‘s Central Asia and Caucasus team and Turkish consultancy UBM have been jointly appointed by The Roads Department of the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia (RDMRDI) to supervise construction works for the Shorapani-Argveta section(F4) of the EWH.
The EWH covers 410 kilometres from Sarpi at the border of Turkey, through the centre of the country to the capital Tbilisi and on to the border of Azerbaijan. It is the main inter-regional and international route connecting western and eastern Georgia, as well as its neighbouring countries. The increase of daily traffic, high percentage of heavy vehicles and difficult terrain on the EWH has necessitated a series of upgrades in recent years.
SMEC and UBM’s scope to supervise the upgrade of the four-lane divided highway requires the construction of 12 tunnels (6 double tubes),14 bridges, 4 interchanges and several deep cuttings and high embankments. It also includes the improvement of about 15 kilometres of secondary roads connecting to the EWH. Part of the highway is on a new alignment which is part of Corridor 2 of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program, providing the shortest transit link to connect Central Asia with Europe and East Asia.
The Government of Georgia, through the Roads Department of the Ministry of RDMRDI, has applied for financing from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for this project. A portion of the loan will be used to procure goods, civil works and consulting services. The project will expand the efforts of the ADB and other development partners in this critical economic corridor, as well as improving transport access for local communities.