470km of planned 500km of roads constructed - minister

ArmInfo.  Of the 500 km of roads planned for 2025, approximately 470 km have already been built. Armenian Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure  David Khudatyan announced this in an interview with Public  Television.

He noted that this includes both reconstruction and construction  throughout Armenia, in numerous communities across all regions of the  country.

"The steps we are taking in this direction should lead to tangible  qualitative changes, and they already have.  I am also pleased to  announce that we have expanded the laboratory capacity of the Road  Department Foundation, which allows us to effectively monitor and  control the quality of the work being performed," the minister said.

He also expressed satisfaction with the pace of construction of the  North-South transport corridor. In this regard, Khudatyan announced  that the Ashtarak-Gyumri section of the road has been completed;  equipping and final landscaping work is currently underway. "After  which, in early spring, or perhaps even earlier, it will be  commissioned," the minister said.

Referring to the Kajaran-Agarak section, he noted that construction  work is proceeding intensively, noting that completion dates for  different sections will vary. Two tunnels, being carried out by an  Iranian contractor, are scheduled for completion by 2027. Meanwhile,  the tender process for the Kajaran tunnel has been launched.

"The name of the winning contractor will be announced soon," he said.  Furthermore, according to the minister, preparatory work is already  underway to begin construction of the Bargushat tunnel.

"I have the impression that the North-South program, which is crucial  for economic development, is being implemented at an accelerated  pace, and we will commission various road sections on schedule in the  near future," he emphasized.

As a reminder, the North-South project will reduce the distance from  the Iranian border 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 initially planned for completion in  2019. However, it is now becoming clear that the program's  implementation could take another 5 to 10 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 amount - $962 million.

On March 18 of this year, Armenia and the ADB signed a ?236 million  loan agreement for the construction of the northern section of the  Sisian-Kajaran highway. The agreement calls for the construction of a  27.1- kilometer asphalt concrete road, resistant to harsh climate  conditions and natural disasters, which will reduce the length of the  Sisian-Kajaran section. This will reduce travel times, increase  average vehicle speeds, and improve travel comfort and safety.

Construction of a new 60-kilometer section of the Sisian-Kajaran  highway, including the Bargushat Tunnel, is planned to begin in 2025.  Work will be carried out in three sections: a 27.12-kilometer  northern section, an 8.65-kilometer Bargushat Tunnel section, and a  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  highway will be of the second technical category. It will pass  through difficult mountainous terrain and will include 27 bridges  with a total length of 4.7 km and nine tunnels with a total length of  12.5 km (the longest of which is the Bargushat Tunnel, 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 over the next five  years, ?600 million will be allocated for the construction of the  Kajaran-Sisian road. 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.