“The Tbilisi bypass road is of strategic importance to the uninterrupted functioning of the Middle Corridor,” Georgia’s Minister of Infrastructure, Revaz Sokhadze, stated, speaking on the Business Partner programme on GPB First Channel, where he outlined current and planned projects along the country’s arterial road network.

Georgia, he noted, is one of the most significant links in the Middle Corridor.

According to the Minister, 383 kilometres of motorway have already been constructed across the country, and the development of international road corridors is progressing rapidly. He confirmed that the remaining sections of the Guria motorway will be fully opened ahead of the tourist season, making uninterrupted travel between Tbilisi and Batumi possible, with the sole exception of the Samtredia bridge section.

Construction of a new motorway between Batumi and Sarpi is also set to begin this year, which will include one of the largest tunnels in the region, comparable in scale to the Kvesheti–Kobi project.

Sokhadze also spoke about the Tbilisi bypass road, which has already entered the tendering phase. The winner of the second lot, covering the section from Tsitsamuri to Avchala, is to be announced shortly. The tender for the third lot (in the direction of Avchala to the Tbilisi Sea) will be declared within days, while subsequent lots will encompass the Lilo–Lochini section. All of these projects, he stated, are due to commence this year.

“The Tbilisi bypass road is of exceptional importance both for the continuity of the Middle Corridor and for relieving the capital’s traffic congestion,” Sokhadze said.

In the Kakheti direction, construction work on the Sagarejo–Badiauri motorway section is advancing actively. Tenders for the Badiauri–Bakurtsikhe and Bakurtsikhe–Lagodekhi sections are to be announced this year, and construction will also begin towards Gurjaani and Telavi.

“The Government has ambitious plans, and far more projects are envisaged than have been undertaken before. These include a 17-kilometre access road to the Port of Anaklia, and a four-lane motorway between Samtredia and Zugdidi, for which the design tender has already been announced,” the Minister said.

Work on the Rustavi–Red Bridge corridor is also actively underway. The Government is collaborating with international financial institutions on this project and is hopeful that construction will begin in the near future.