ArmInfo. Armenian government has provided "Lotti Ingegneria S. p. A." and "AIC PROGETTI" (Italy) companies a permission to conduct work on preparing urban planning documentation within the North-South investment project.
Minister of Transport and Communication of Armenia Gagik Beglaryan informed that Italian companies have gotten permission on designing bypass road of Gyumri and Gyumri-Bavra section. "Both companies have design and technical-economic consulting certificates, issued by Italian Engineering Association which verify that the companies have relevant engineering capability to conduct such work", the Minister informed.
To note, The North-South 556km motorway will be laid via the Armenians towns of Meghri-Kapan-Goris- Yerevan-Ashtarak-Gyumri-Bavra and enter the territory of Georgia on Akhaltsikhe-Batumi section, which will settle some transport problems of Armenia. This will be a four-lane motorway of reinforced concrete extending from the Armenian border and Iran to the Georgian port Batumi. The road corridor will facilitate improving the road connection with the two neighbors of Armenia: Iran and Georgia, providing access to international trade routes and markets. Agarak-Kapan-Yerevan-Gyumri-Bavra road links the South of the country with the North providing access to "Southern Road Corridor" of Georgia which enables access to Poti and Batumi ports or to the East towards Tbilisi. Armenia raised $500mln loan from the Asian Development Bank for the project that is estimated at $1 billion. Eurasian Development Bank is ready to provide $150 million. Armenia raised $60 million from the European investment Bank. Due to the project, the overland communication Europe-Caucasus-Asia will be improved. The project will be completed by 2019. It will allow Armenia to soften the consequences of the blockade by Azerbaijan and Turkey and to join the Black Sea ring highway.
