ArmInfo.In 2019, Armenia will send about 20 billion drams (about $ 41 million) to repair roads of interstate and republican importance; with a length of 312 km, not counting construction in the framework of the North-South investment program and the M6 Vanadzor to Georgia border. Armenian Minister of Transport, Communications and IT Hakob Arshakyan said this on April 17 at a press conference.
First of all, Hakob Arshakyan explained that the department headed by him was responsible for the roads of interstate and republican significance. "I receive hundreds or even thousands of questions regarding the quality of roads in cities and communities in the country. I'll ask you to contact municipalities and community structures with such questions," he said.
As for the responsibility of the Ministry, then, according to Arshakyan, in 2019 an unprecedented amount of medium and capital repairs, as well as work to fill the pits on the roads over the last 5 years, is planned. Thus, according to the plans of the department, a major overhaul of 78 km roads of interstate and republican significance is planned this year. Medium repairs are planned for the Yerevan-Aparan, Shorzha- Vardenis road section, a section of the road in Jermuk. "The main landmark is that on the road Yerevan and to the border of Georgia, and in the southern direction - to Meghri, we must build a two-way high-quality road," he said. Of the planned allocations to road construction of 20 billion drams, 5 billion drams will be received within the framework of the World Bank's "Improving the Road Network of Life Significance" loan program, which will be used for the medium repairs of roads of about 60 km.
As for ensuring the quality of the roads, then, according to the minister, since Armenia works with the postpaid system with contractors, in case of omissions from the builder, the works are suspended or simply not accepted until the gaps are eliminated. Such a situation, for example, was with Varmash LLC, which built the section of the Voskepar-Noyemberyan road. Problems with the quality of work were identified at the site, and the contractor undertook to eliminate them. In general, last year, such "improvements" were measured at 300 million drams.
Thus, as Arshakyan pointed out, the government is closely monitoring the quality of the construction work being carried out. And since Armenia aims to become a transit country, the government plans to tighten control over construction work. "If the work is not carried out at the proper level, it will not be rewarded - this is the whole logic. I think this condition ensures that we will not have problems in the field of road construction," the minister said.
Nevertheless, to say that the republic in the near future will solve all the problems in the field of road construction, is not necessary. According to Hakob Arshakyan, according to the analysis of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) from 2015, in order to maintain the normal condition of the entire road network and bring it to the proper level, Armenia needs over 20 billion drams annually.