ADB mission travels to Armenia`s Syunik to examine project of north  section of Sisian-Kajaran motorway of North-South transport corridor 

ArmInfo. The mission of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), accompanied by employees of the Road Department, visited Syunik region to study the project of the northern section of the Sisian-Kajaran road within the framework of the North-South international transport corridor.

As reported by the press service of the Road Department Foundation, at a meeting with the representatives of the mission, the Executive Director of the Foundation Arkady Cherchinyan emphasized the importance of cooperation with the ADB in the implementation of the joint program.

During the discussions, the parties touched upon the issues of the financial plan, procurement processes, environmental protection, social impacts, as well as the capabilities of the working group implementing the project. The discussions were aimed at reducing potential risks that may arise in the course of further work.

As recalled by the Foundation, the ADB is allocating 236 million  euros to co-finance the construction of the northern section of the Sisian-Kajaran highway. The length of this section will be about 27 kilometers and will include several tunnels and bridges. In addition, a loan deal was concluded with the European Investment Bank to finance the construction. The Armenian government will also make its financial contribution to the implementation of this project. According to the source, working discussions within the framework of the ADB mission will continue until June 13.

On March 18 this year, Armenia and the ADB signed a loan agreement in the amount of 236 million euros for the construction of the northern section of the Sisian-Kajaran road of the North-South transport corridor.  Within the framework of the agreement, it is planned to build an asphalt concrete road with a length of 27.1 km, resistant to difficult climatic conditions and natural disasters, which will reduce the length of the Sisian - Kajaran road section. As a result, the duration of trips will be reduced, the average speed of vehicles will increase, and the comfort and safety of trips will increase. The construction of the new section of the Sisian - Kajaran road with a length of about 60 km, including the Bargushat tunnel, is planned to begin in 2025.  The work will be carried out in three subsections:  the northern section - 27.12 km long, the Bargushat tunnel section - 8.65 km long and the southern section - 24.25 km long.

In total, 708 million euros of credit funds are expected to be spent on the construction of three sections of the road section.

The new 60-kilometer Sisian-Kajaran road will be of the second  technical category. It will pass through a difficult mountainous  terrain, will include 27 bridges with a total length of 4.7 km and 9 tunnels with a total length of 12.5 km (the longest is the Bargushat tunnel, about 8.6 km long).

The pre-qualification stage of the international tender for this  project has been completed, with applications submitted by 23  companies from Europe, China and other countries. Of the total financial assistance package from the EU to Armenia in the amount of 2.6 billion euros over the next five years, 600 million euros will be directed to the construction of the Kajaran-Sisian road.

Another 200 million dollars will be provided by the Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development, 500 million dollars have already been allocated by the ADB. The 60 km section of the road will have a design speed of 80 km/h.

The North-South Highway is one of the largest infrastructure projects in the history of independent Armenia. It will reduce the distance between the Iranian and Georgian borders from 550 to 470 km, speed up transit through the country and create new logistical opportunities, including the transportation of goods from Iran to the Black Sea.