ADB Approves Loan for New Kvesheti-Kobi Road, Residents Oppose

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has announced that it has approved a $415 million loan for the construction of a new highway in Georgia.

The 23-kilometer road will connect Kvesheti and Kobi in the northeast of Georgia. The project hopes to improve travel for freight trucks, tourists and residents who are often delayed on the current Jvari Pass road, especially during winter.

As part of the construction, developers will build the longest tunnel in Georgia (9 kilometers) and a bridge spanning the Khadistskali river.

Approximately 3,500 vehicles currently use the Jvari Pass road daily, with traffic expected to double over the next decade. As the road is often closed more than 40 days per year, ADB insists that building a more efficient road that is operational all year is ‘a national priority.’

“A high-quality road network is essential for the growth and development of Georgia, which is located at the center of transit and trade routes linking Europe and Asia,” stated Werner Liepach, ADB Director General for Central and West Asia. “The new bypass road will greatly improve the North-South Corridor and help enhance trade and regional connectivity, as well as increase the number of visitors in the region, which is home to world-class natural and cultural heritage assets,” he continued.

However, critics of the project claim that it, in fact, endangers the unique nature in the area as the road will cut through Khada Gorge in the Caucasus mountains.

‘This will ruin one of the most historically important valleys of the Caucasus. It will encourage trucks where we should be encouraging rail. It is a disgrace that ADB is funding it,’ wrote one Facebook user. Whilst another suggested increasing tariffs on freight traffic which are currently lower than the international norm.

In addition, although ADB claims that the road will benefit local residents, bringing employment opportunities and more tourism to the region, many locals disagree: “I am a resident of village Kvasheti, and you are going to destroy my and our neighbours houses, also destroy this beautiful nature,” commented Nana Burduli. “Residents of Kvasheti and other villages don’t want this road.”

Residents have set up a Facebook group, Protect the Khada Valley, in an attempt to stop the development. The group claims that the government has already claimed 8,475,775 squared meters of privately owned land in the Khada Valley for the road construction and calls upon the government to consider renovating existing roads and develop a sufficient sustainable development plan.

Responding to criticism on Facebook, ADB insisted that ‘extensive assessments and consultations have been conducted with local communities, civil society organizations, and other project stakeholders during the project preparation phase.’

ADB has also funded a North-South highway in Armenia which experts criticized for costing too much money and lacking strategic sight.

The planned Kvesheti-Kobi highway in Georgia is expected to cost $558.6 million, funded by ADB, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the Government of Georgia. Construction is planned to start in 2020.

By Amy Jones

Image source - Georgian Tour