Tbilisi City Hall Infrastructure Plans for 2019

Tbilisi City Hall held its first sitting of the year, where the main infrastructure plans for 2019 were discussed.

Mayor Kakha Kaladze noted that this year the budget of the capital is “historic” and to exceed GEL 1 billion.

“Compared to last year, the budget is around 130-140 million Lari more, which means more projects for the city. And again, we are hoping for the support of the citizens – support which we felt on a daily basis in the past year,” he noted.

Kaladze said developing the transport system and infrastructure remains a priority for Tbilisi City Hall in 2019.

“We are planning to completely replace the existing bus fleet with new busses in 2019 and to introduce new European, ecologically clean buses. Also, the renovation and rehabilitation of metro stations, wagons and the retraining of staff remains a further priority.”

The Mayor noted City Hall will present a new project for the rehabilitation of metro Varketili, where the ceiling collapse injured 18 people on December 30. He added a new project is necessary as the existing one does not fit the safety norms.

“Our priority should not be speed but quality and citizen safety. I would like to apologize to the commuters and assure them that soon we will have a project and will launch rehabilitation works,” he stated.

Kaladze also recognized that renovation of metro station Samgori should have been finished in December but the responsible company failed to meet the deadline.

“Tbilisi Transportation Company is taking on the job of finishing this work, having conducted legally and judicially appropriate sanctions against the responsible company,” he explained.

The Mayor said the rehabilitation works of Avlabari metro station will be completed by February 20 and a tender has been announced for the design of all three exits of the metro at Station Square.

In addition, a tender will be announced for the renovation of Gotsiridze, Isani, Liberty Square, Rustaveli, Marjanishvili and Tsereteli metro stations this year.

Kaladze added that City Hall will also continue renovating damaged bridges in the capital.

“In 2015, research was done on every bridge. We already have a full picture of which rehabilitation of which bridges is a priority and are doing work according to those findings,” he stated.

The Mayor said a tender will also be announced for the full rehabilitation of the Kakheti highway.

By Thea Morrison