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Tuesday,
July 24,
2007, #139 (1406) The Ministry of Economic Development’s Road Department says 165 kilometers of road and 12 bridges were rehabilitated in the first half of 2007. Road works are being carried out on links between Natakhtari–Aghaiani, Aghaiani–Igoeti, and Chuberi–Sakeni. There are also parallel works being done on 650 kilometers of international and interstate roads, reports the newspaper Svobodnaya Gruzia. The Road Department is waiting on the green light for state-financed road work on a number of routes, including road arteries connecting the capital to Red Bridge (near the Azerbaijani border) and Zugdidi. Other road construction currently underway is being paid for by the World Bank. BP is also playing a role in road building, following an agreement signed by the finance minister and BP general manager in Georgia Hugh McDowell. BP will dole out a USD 10 million grant in 2007–2008 to repair state roads damaged during the construction of the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan oil pipeline and South Caucasus gas pipeline. “Quality roads are crucial for the country’s economic development, and for business interests as well. During the pipelines’ construction we invested USD 12 million in restoring local roads, including in Tetritskaro, Tsalka, Bakuriani and Rustavi,” said McDowell, as quoted by the newspaper Rezonansi. The Road Department’s budget has seen a relative windfall since the Rose Revolution; in 2007, it had about GEL 146 million to work with |
165 Kilometers of Road Repaired in First Six Months of 2007