New Stretch of Georgia’s East-West Highway Completed

TBILISI – Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili opened new a 7 km section of the nation’s East-West Highway on Wednesday.

The government plans to improve all major highways in the country, as well as build roads leading to the country's main tourist destinations, Kvirikashvili announced 

The new stretch of the East-West highway makes up just over half of the planned 12km road that will be completed by the end of the year.

Road and tunnel construction will also be carried out in the isolated mountainous regions of Svaneti and Tusheti. An enhanced road linking the highland Racha Region to Kutaisi in western Georgia with Abastumani in the south will also be built in the coming years, according to the government’s infrastructure plans.

Kvirikashvili noted that the government wants to make Kutaisi the country’s main important transportation hub.

The East-West Highway is the main route from Tbilisi to the Black Sea coast. The highway is also a part of the Silk Road project that links Europe and Asia.

The World Bank is one of the main investors in the East-West Highway’s renovation. In total, it has provided USD 367 million (778 million GEL) to Georgia to develop the project.

By Eka Karsaulidze

Edited by Nicholas Waller