Armenia
“We have turned the North-South project into the North-South-East-West project – Nikol Pashinyan
Hetq Am, 17.02.2022
On February 17, a prequalification tender was announced for the construction of the Sisian-Kajaran road section of the North-South highway, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at a government meeting.
“At the first stage, we invite organizations to submit applications for the construction of this site. The cost of the project is several hundred million dollars. In the entire history of independent Armenia, an investment program of this scale has not actually been implemented. We have turned the North-South project into the North-South-East-West project. This means that one of the branches of the Armenian Crossroads will connect Armenia with Iran, the other with Azerbaijan, and in the future there will be access to Nakhichevan and Turkey,“ the prime minister said during the discussion.
Pashinyan expressed hope that by the end of the year there will be a construction company that will perform these works.
Work is currently underway on the construction of the Armenian section of the Yeraskh-Julfa-Ordubad-Meghri-Goradiz railway, the head of government noted, expressing hope that the agreements reached will be documented. The prequalification stage is 70 days.
https://hetq.am/ru/article/141252
Georgia
Georgia continues to actively build the longest tunnel to the border with Russia
Armenian Report, 18.02.2022
At the moment, a 770-meter section of a nine-kilometer tunnel has been laid, as well as 2.6 thousand meters of an evacuation tunnel on the Kvesheti-Kobi section, the Department of Highways of the Ministry of Infrastructure of Georgia said in a statement.
The Kvesheti-Kobi section is a bypass route of the Kobi–Gudauri section, where in winter there is often a danger of avalanches, which is why the road is closed. The construction of a tunnel on the Georgian Military Road connecting Georgia and Russia will allow Armenian carriers to no longer get stuck for days on the way to the Upper Lars checkpoint.
"At the moment, 770 meters have been drilled in the main tunnel of TBM (tunnel drilling equipment) and reinforced concrete slabs are being installed. Drilling and installation of temporary fasteners are carried out in parallel mode in the evacuation tunnel," the report says.
A tunnel boring machine was specially made for the construction of the tunnel, which is characterized in that its vibration is minimal, and this ensures a safe construction process and minimal impact on the environment. The device also differs in that it also performs wall cladding during the drilling process.
The project is an important part of the modernization of the North-South Expressway.
The project plans to build a two-lane asphalt concrete road, five bridges, five tunnels and repair one bridge. Among them is the construction of the largest tunnel in Georgia with a length of nine kilometers and a diameter of 15 meters under the Cross Pass. It will be one of the longest tunnels and one of the most complex engineering structures in Europe. The work will be carried out by the Chinese company China Railway 23rd Bureau Group Co.
According to the project, the villages of Kvesheti, Arakhveti, Zakatkari, Beniani-Begoni, Sviana-Rostiani, Mugure, Tskere and Kobi will be included in the zone of the new road.
At the moment, the length of the existing road is 34 kilometers, the tunnel will reduce it by 11 km, and, accordingly, the travel time by an hour. At the same time, transit traffic will not be carried out through the Gudauri resort. On the one hand, this will relieve the traffic of the resort, and on the other hand, transit will become safer.
The construction is carried out by the Department of Highways of Georgia with the financial support of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Asian Development Bank. The project is planned to be completed by 2024. The project cost is 1.2 billion lari.
https://www.armenianreport.com/ru/pubs/307486/
Tajikistan
Reconstruction of the Dushanbe-Bokhtar highway
Asia Plus, 17.02.2022
The last section of the highway from Kyzylkala to Bokhtar, with a length of 9.2 km, will be reconstructed at the expense of a grant from the Government of Japan in the amount of $ 30.1 million.
It is expected that the reconstruction of this road section will be completed in early 2023.
For the reconstruction of this road in the first two phases, the Asian Development Bank provided $155.2 million, of which $105.8 million in grants and $49.4 million in soft loans.
The first two sections of the road after reconstruction were opened at the end of October last year. Recall that only one toll road – Dushanbe-Chanak - has been operating in Tajikistan so far.
Management of this road infrastructure since April 2010, after its rehabilitation, was transferred on the basis of a concession to the international company Innovative Road Solution LTD.
One of the main conditions of the agreement is the maintenance of sections of this road in good condition at all times of the year. Reconstruction of this road cost Tajikistan almost $300 million, of which $281.2 million. It is a long–term loan from China for a period of 20 years, and $15 million is the republic's budget funds.
Turkmenistan
The Head of Turkmenistan launched the construction of the second stage of the Ashgabat-Turkmenabat highway
Turkmen Portal, 17.02.2022
President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov visited the construction site of the Tejen-Mary section of the Ashgabat-Turkmenabat highway today, launching the construction of the second stage of work, the State News Agency of Turkmenistan reports.
Construction of a 600 km long high-speed highway with a cost of 2 billion 300 million US dollars began on January 24, 2019. It is carried out by the closed joint stock company Türkmen Awtoban. The highway with eight traffic lanes and a roadbed width of 35 meters will be built in three stages. About 3,500 builders, more than 2,200 units of special equipment and vehicles are involved in the implementation of the project.
The Turkmen leader got acquainted with samples of powerful construction equipment from the world's leading manufacturers, which has been actively used in the implementation of road transport infrastructure projects in recent years. Having examined various types of sealing rollers, bulldozers, earthmoving machines, graders and other equipment, the head of state asked about their features and functional characteristics.
The President of Turkmenistan was informed that according to its parameters, the presented road construction equipment belongs to a new generation, is economical and environmentally friendly. The special system installed in the units includes automated control and measuring equipment.
Stressing the importance of the successful implementation of the country's road construction program, strengthening the role of Turkmenistan as a key transport and transit hub in the world, the Head of state noted that huge opportunities are opening up for the development of public-private partnership, the introduction of effective farming methods, and the rational use of vast natural resources.
The President also got acquainted with the schemes of new highway routes, with detailed projects for the construction of facilities along the road line, vehicle maintenance stations.
Stressing the importance of this project for the Turkmen economy and the expansion of interstate relations, the Turkmen leader noted the active role of domestic entrepreneurs in the implementation of national socio-economic development programs, including in the formation of modern industrial and transport infrastructure of the country.
The President also noted the importance of realizing Turkmenistan's transit opportunities for the economies of neighboring states, establishing strong logistics ties on the continent, and strengthening trust-based partnerships.
Recall that it is planned to build a central station of the road supervision service and 4 recreation areas throughout the Ashgabat-Turkmenabat highway, 4 bridges over rivers, 4 bridges over the railway, 22 bridges at the intersection with other highways, 76 underground pedestrian crossings and a special passage for animals will also be erected, water collectors over mudflats, interchanges and other objects. It is planned to build 10 stations for the necessary maintenance of the high-speed route.