The Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure, Irakli Karseladze, this week announced that the construction of the new eastern entrance tunnel to the Rikoti Pass, a vital part of Georgia’s East-West highway, was completed.
The new tunnel, measuring 1800 meters in length, runs parallel to the existing Rikoti tunnel and is now the longest on the Rikoti Pass road. The old Rikoti Tunnel, which opened in 1982 as the longest vehicular tunnel entirely within Georgia, at 1722 m, is now being renovated to be used as part of the new highway.
The Ministry announced that 36 kilometers of the new highway are now already operational, including 77 bridges and 43 tunnels.
Overall, the project involves 51 tunnels and 97 bridges, of which 50 tunnels and 89 bridges have already been completed. By upgrading sections of the E60 and E70 highways, particularly the Poti-Tbilisi-Red Bridge and Poti-Batumi-Sarpi routes, and by bypassing cities and towns, Georgia seeks to solidify its role as a pivotal transport hub in the South Caucasus region. Work on the Batumi Bypass is well on its way to a year-end completion, project financers claim.
By Mariam Mtivlishvili
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