ArmInfo. Yesterday, RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan attended the opening of the northern section of the North-South Highway project from Ashtarak to Gyumri. This was reported by the RA government press service.
Officials reported that the total length of the Ashtarak-Gyumri section of the highway is approximately 84 km. Construction was carried out in four stages: work on the approximately 8 km section bypassing the Agarak archaeological site, the 34 km section between Ashtarak and Talin, the 18.7 km section between Talin and Lanzhik, and the 23 km section between Lanzhik and Gyumri. Work was completed with financial support from the government, the Asian Development Bank, and the European Investment Bank. Thus, a first-class technical road with a maximum speed limit of 90 km/h was constructed on the Ashtarak-Gyumri section. There are two 3.6-meter-wide traffic lanes in each direction. The road also has a 2-meter-wide technical and protective zone for parking in the event of vehicle breakdowns, for road repairs, and for other purposes. Entrances to populated areas from the new road are organized through transport hubs. A total of 19 transport hubs and 10 bridges have been built from Ashtarak to Gyumri.
Seventeen crossings for agricultural machinery, as well as passages for livestock, have been constructed. Roads providing access to residents' plots and homes have also been built. A lighting system is installed at the transport hubs. The construction of this section of the road will significantly improve road safety.
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) and Georgia. Construction of the corridor was originally planned for completion in 2019.
