Georgian PM: Major infrastructure projects to be completed by 2022
By Tea Mariamidze
Wednesday, August 14
The PM made the statement while summing up the past six months of work on Georgia’s road system, noting that the development of road infrastructure is one of the top priorities for the government.
“We want to use the transit and tourist potential of our country; secondly - we want to reduce travel time and make [transportation] more comfortable and safer, and thirdly – this is an effective way to fight against poverty,” the PM said.
Bakhtadze particularly singled out two projects, which are of historical significance - Rikoti Highway and Kobi-Gudauri Highway. Construction of the latter, according to Bakhtadze, will begin by the end of the year. At the Rikoti Pass section, at present, works are being carried out on two sections, while the remaining two sections are on the final stage of tender procedures.
He added that Kobi-Gudauri cable car is one of the most important infrastructure projects implemented recently in Georgia that advanced village Kobi a lot.
“Our citizens, who are resting in mountainous regions, have the opportunity to see with their own eyes how the reconstruction process is going on,” he noted.
The Prime Minister said Georgia had never seen such a pace and scale of infrastructure development as it is now.
“In addition to highways, it is very important for us to build roads in all settlements. I promise the society that we will build roads of proper standard step by step in every settlement in Georgia,” he added.
According to Bakhtadze, this year's budget was increased by 20% for infrastructure development, but the factual circumstances already allow even higher performance rates by the end of the year.
A 6-month report of the Roads Department reads GEL 397 838 275 was spent on road infrastructure improvements in the first half of 2019, which is 36.4% more than the same period last year.
Roads Department plans rehabilitation of 550 kilometers of roads by the end of the year. In 2019, a total of 228 tenders were announced in six months, and contracts totaling GEL 541 103 278 were signed.
Chairman of the Roads Department, Irakli Karseladze stated at the presentation of the report that to date, more than 9,000 people are already working on constructions of highways as well as other rehabilitation and prevention projects.
“The east-west highway is our main challenge, which starts at the Red Bridge and stretches 430 kilometers to Sarfi, 200 kilometers of the highway has already been built, while 140 kilometers of road is currently being constructed, and the agreement on the first section of Rikoti will be signed by next week,” he explained.
The 2019 budget of the Roads Department is GEL 1 302 050 000.