ArmInfo. Construction of the 34-kilometer section of the Ashtarak-Talin highway will be completed in 2026. This section is part of the North-South transport corridor. This was announced by David Khudatyan, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, during discussions in the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia on the 2026 draft state budget.
According to him, this section of the highway is being built with a loan of 60 billion drams. A 23.2- kilometer section of the Landzhik-Gyumri highway will also be commissioned next year. The minister added that construction of the 32-kilometer section of the Kajaran-Agarak highway will continue in 2026. Construction of the tunnel and access roads will also begin. Bids for the tunnel project have already been accepted and are currently being summarized. Khudatyan assured that the winning bidder will be announced soon.
Next year, the minister continued, construction on the 60-kilometer Sisian-Kajaran road will also begin. The first stage will involve resolving land acquisition and resettlement issues. Construction of the Bargushat Tunnel will also begin as part of this project, with negotiations ongoing with the construction company.
As a reminder, the North-South project will reduce the distance from the Iranian to the Georgian border from 556 to 490 kilometers. The project will provide access to the Black Sea and European countries through Armenia (Meghri - Kapan - Goris - Yerevan - Ashtarak - Gyumri - Bavra) in Georgia. Construction of the corridor was originally scheduled for completion in 2019. Meanwhile, it is now becoming clear that the program's implementation could take another five to ten years. The project's timeline will depend on funding, the pace, and the quality of its implementation. Construction will cost over $2 billion, with the southern section alone costing approximately $1.5 billion. Meanwhile, six years ago, in September 2012, when construction of the highway began, the figure cited by Armenian government officials was more than half that-$962 million.
On March 18, 2019, Armenia and the ADB signed a ?236 million loan agreement for the construction of the northern section of the Sisian-Kajaran highway. The agreement provides for the construction of a 27.1- kilometer asphalt concrete road that is resistant to harsh climate conditions and natural disasters, thereby reducing the length of the Sisian-Kajaran highway. This will reduce travel times, increase average vehicle speeds, and improve travel comfort and safety. Construction of the new approximately 60-kilometer Sisian- Kajaran highway section, including the Bargushat tunnel, is scheduled to begin in 2025. Work will be carried out in three sections: the 27.12-kilometer northern section, the 8.65-kilometer Bargushat tunnel section, and the 24.25-kilometer southern section. A total of ?708 million in loan funds is expected to be spent on the construction of the three sections of the road section. The new 60-kilometer Sisian-Kajaran road will be of the second technical category. It will traverse difficult mountainous terrain and include 27 bridges with a total length of 4.7 km and nine tunnels with a total length of 12.5 km (the longest, the Bargushat Tunnel, is approximately 8.6 km long). The prequalification stage of the international tender for this project has been completed, with 23 companies from Europe, China, and other countries submitting bids. Of the EU's overall ?2.6 billion financial assistance package to Armenia, ?600 million will be allocated for the construction of the Kajaran-Sisian road over the next five years. The Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development will provide an additional $200 million, and the ADB has already allocated $500 million. The 60-kilometer section of the road will have a design speed of 80 km/h.
