Arch bridge under construction on strategic Kvesheti–Kobi highway

“Construction is advancing rapidly on an unprecedented arch bridge along the new Kvesheti–Kobi highway, featuring a span exceeding 400 metres and towering 166 metres above the valley floor,” the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure has announced.

With a central arch length of 300 metres, the engineering landmark represents the largest structure of its kind in Georgia.

According to the Ministry, the arch bridge stands as one of the project’s most complex engineering challenges. The connection of the two arch segments is set for late October, with the installation of the bridge piers and upper deck to follow.

“The Kvesheti–Kobi project encompasses the construction of a 23-kilometre, two-lane asphalt-concrete highway, five bridges, and five tunnels, as well as the rehabilitation of an existing bridge. Active construction is underway on four of the five new bridges, while one structure has been fully completed.

Excavation works for the main 9-kilometre tunnel and its parallel evacuation tunnel are complete. Crews have installed ventilation slabs in the main tunnel and completed the reinforced concrete lining in the emergency tunnel, where electromechanical installation works are now progressing. Excavation and concrete lining for the additional 1.5-kilometre and 500-metre tunnels have also concluded,” the Ministry press service stated.

The new bypass route will eliminate severe winter transit disruptions, dramatically improving road safety and providing year-round access to vital public services for nearly a dozen remote mountain villages across the Khada Valley.

Co-financed by the Georgian state budget, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the total investment value of the infrastructure scheme stands at 1.2 billion lari.