ArmInfo. As part of the North-South Road Corridor construction project, several land plots in the Meghri community of Armenia's Syunik region have been recognized as priority public interest areas. The decision was made at a Cabinet meeting on March 5.
According to the explanatory note to the document, the goal of the project is to ensure the construction of an approximately 32-kilometer section of road between Kajaran and Agarak under the North-South Road Corridor Investment Program - Program 4, with financial support from the Government of the Republic of Armenia and the Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development.
The project includes:
- Construction of five new transport hubs.
- Construction of six new overpasses.
- Construction of two new tunnels with a total length of approximately 985 meters (including portals).
- Construction of 15 new bridges.
Land plots within the road exclusion zone were recognized as being of public interest in accordance with Government of the Republic of Armenia Resolutions No. 851-N of June 9, 2022, and No. 1793-N of November 15, 2024. By these decisions, land plots recognized as being of primary public interest were expropriated in accordance with the law, and plots free from third-party rights were transferred to the developer. Construction work began in 2024 and is currently ongoing.
During construction, changes were made to the design due to the actual location of the plots, the actual soil type, the need to relocate irrigation systems in some areas, and accessibility issues.
As a result of the above, the affected plots of 88 land plots located in the villages of Tashtun, Lichk, and Meghri in the Meghri community of the Syunik region of the Republic of Armenia were included within the boundaries of the road exclusion zone, and without these plots, it is impossible to carry out the construction work.
Based on the above, to ensure the smooth progress of the Project, avoid delays in the Project schedule, and provide the contractor with individual plots of the construction site as soon as possible, the project proposes recognizing the affected plots of 88 land plots included in the road expropriation zone as being of primary public interest, confirming the expropriation zone for these plots.
The commencement date for the expropriation of the expropriated property is set for December 1, 2026. It is noted that the project does not require additional financial resources and does not entail changes in the revenues and expenditures of the state budget of the Republic of Armenia.
Project-related expenses will be covered by funds allocated for the land acquisition of the northern section of the Sisian-Kajaran project of the North-South Road Corridor, implemented with financing from the Asian Development Bank, through the reallocation of these funds.
As a reminder, 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 32 km of road, two tunnels, and 17 bridges (the longest of which is 720 meters). ArmInfo previously reported that the contractor for the 32- kilometer Kajaran-Agarak section (Tranche 4) of the North-South highway, leading from Agarak and upward, is a joint venture between Iranian companies Abad Rahan Pars International Group and Tunnel Sadd Ariana. Technical supervision of the construction work is being carried out by the Croatian company Institute IGH, a Joint-Stock Company for Research and Development in Civil Engineering. Back in April 2023, it was announced that the Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development (EFSD), 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. The North-South project will reduce the distance from Armenia's southern border to its northeastern border from 556 to 490 kilometers. The route will significantly facilitate access to the Black Sea and European countries through Armenia (Meghri-Kapan-Goris- Yerevan-Ashtarak-Gyumri-Bavra) and Georgia. Construction of the corridor was originally scheduled for completion in 2019.
