ArmInfo.Issues related to the implementation of the North- South automobile corridor construction program were the subjects of discussions that took place on November 26 between the acting Director General of SNCO "Organization for the implementation of the investment program of the North-South road corridor Vazgen Petrosyan with representatives of the Chinese company ''Powerchina''.
According to the GNCO, during the meeting, in particular, it was about the implementation of work within Tranche-3, which envisages the construction of road sections of Talin-Lanjik and Lanjik-Gyumri roads. The interlocutors discussed the construction work, pointing out the importance of the road under construction for Armenia, which is being built by the company "Sinohydro Corporation", which is part of the ''Powerchina'' structure. Some problems of a technical nature were also raised; the need for high- quality performance of all works was stressed. The interlocutors also discussed the possibility of the participation of the Chinese company in the construction of a corridor within Tranche-4 from Artashat to Agarak. The Chinese delegation was interested, in particular, in the possibilities of cooperation in the framework of public-private partnerships. Recall that the project to create a North-South transport corridor with a total length of 556 km will allow access to the Black Sea and European countries through Armenia (Meghri-Kapan-Goris-Yerevan-Ashtarak- Gyumri-Bavra) and Georgia. The investment program is aimed at ensuring communication of the north (border with Georgia) and southern Armenia (border with Iran) through transport communications that meet high international standards, and access to world markets. As the authorities of Armenia expect, the program will allow the country to mitigate the consequences of the blockade from Azerbaijan and Turkey in the future, to play the role of a transit state in cargo transportation of the countries of the region, and also to join the Black Sea ring highway. The Spanish , the last -to the Landzhik - Gyumri section in northern Armenia - the Chinese , won tenders for the construction of the first few lines of the route. With the latter, the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Armenia signed a contract in May 2016 amounting to about $ 60 million in the framework of the 3rd tranche of the investment program. The Kajaran-Agarak project will be the fourth section of the North-South project. Within the framework of the project, it is planned to rebuild the arterial roads of Armenia from the Iranian to the Georgian border. Partially they will be rebuilt from asphalt to concrete, partially expanded. And in some areas they will build straight sections instead of roundabout turns in the mountains.