Georgia extends tender for road construction toward Azerbaijan
In Georgia, the deadline for submitting bids for the international tender for the construction of the 4th and 5th lots of the Tbilisi bypass road has been extended.
The Roads Department of Georgia has set a new deadline for submitting proposals — September 14. Initially, bids were to be accepted until August 6. The tenders were announced on June 19.
The 5th lot, which is of particular importance for the Azerbaijani direction, will make up the southern part of the Tbilisi bypass road. Its length will be 10.2 km. The section will connect the E60 international highway with the Kakheti highway in the direction of Azerbaijan, which will improve transport links between Rustavi, the eastern part of Tbilisi, Tbilisi International Airport, and new industrial zones.
Within the framework of the 5th lot, it is planned to widen the existing road and build a four-lane highway — two lanes in each direction. The design speed will be 120 km/h. The construction of three two-lane bridges, three one-lane bridges, and two multilevel interchanges is envisaged. The construction period is 20 months.
The 4th lot, about 8.7 km long, will connect the Tbilisi bypass road with the Lochini interchange. The section from the airport to Lochini is planned to be widened to three lanes in each direction, while a two-lane highway will be built on the other part. The design speed will also be 120 km/h, and the construction period is 30 months.
The total cost of the 4th and 5th lots is $250 million. The projects will be financed through a loan from the Asian Development Bank.
The total length of the Tbilisi bypass road on the Natakhtari/Tsitsamuri — Rustavi direction will be about 49 km. It will become an important part of the East — West international highway (E60).
The project is also of particular importance for Azerbaijan, since it will make it possible to direct transit transport entering Georgia from Azerbaijan toward Rustavi, Kakheti, and other destinations, while simultaneously reducing the load on Tbilisi's city roads. This will create additional opportunities for the development of transport links between Azerbaijan and Georgia, as well as the region's transit routes.
It should be noted that the tender for the construction of the 3rd section of the bypass road, 22.5 km long, on the Avchala — airport direction has already been completed. Eight companies took part in it, and their proposals are currently being evaluated. The estimated cost of the procurement is 932 million lari.
Source: Report
