ArmInfo. With the improvement of weather conditions, construction work on the 32-kilometer section of the Kajaran-Agarak road within the 4th tranche of the North-South highway construction has entered an active stage.
According to the press service of the Road Department Foundation, the contractor has increased its resources, in particular, 248 workers are working at the construction site, 155 units of equipment are involved. In addition, residents of the region are also involved in the construction, including local construction organizations as a subcontractor, which, in turn, solves certain social problems.
According to the source, excavation, blasting works are currently underway at the construction site, the roadbed is being built, etc. The construction of one of the transport hubs bypassing the city of Meghri is underway: work is underway to build the roadbed and lay the foundations of artificial structures. Work is also continuing on drilling a 360 m long tunnel, more than 180 m have already been drilled.
The Fund reminded that the Kajaran-Agarak road is being built with co-financing from the Armenian government and the Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development.
The project includes the construction of 32 km of road, two tunnels and 17 bridges (the longest of which is 720 m).
Recall that ArmInfo previously reported that the contractor for the construction of the 32-kilometer section of the Kajaran-Agarak (Tranche 4) road of the North-South highway leading to the border with Iran is a joint venture of Iranian companies - Abad Rahan Pars International Group and Tunnel Sadd Ariana. Technical supervision of the construction work is carried out by the Croatian company Institute IGH, Joint- Stock Company for Research and Development in Civil Engineering.
Back in April 2023, it became known that the Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development (EFSD), whose funds are managed by the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB), would provide Armenia with a $150 million loan for the construction of the fourth tranche of the North-South transport corridor. Let us recall that the North-South project will reduce the distance from the Iranian border to the Georgian border from 556 to 490 kilometers. The road will significantly facilitate access to the Black Sea not only for Armenia, but also for Iran. The project will provide access to the Black Sea and to European countries through the territory of Armenia (Meghri-Kapan-Goris-Yerevan-Ashtarak-Gyumri-Bavra) and Georgia. The construction of the corridor was initially planned for completion in 2019. The cost of the program was constantly revised upwards. Meanwhile, in September 2012, when the construction of the highway began, the amount named by representatives of the Armenian government was several times less - $962 million.
The Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development (EFSD, the Fund; formerly the EurAsEC Anti-Crisis Fund) is a regional financial mechanism with a volume of 8.513 billion US dollars, which was established in 2009 by Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan. The Fund was created to overcome the negative consequences of the crisis, ensure long-term sustainability and promote the integration of the economies of the Fund's member states. The Fund provides the following support to the member states: financial loans to governments to support the budgets and (or) balances of payments of the member states; investment loans to member states or companies; grants to finance state programs in the social sphere.
