From 2012, of the Georgian Dream (GD) party’s government in office, 193 kilometer-long highway from 261 kilometers was opened, said Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili at the opening of 27-kilometer-long highway section at the Rikoti Pass.

According to the PM , opening of the new road section will simplify travel to Georgian citizens, tourists and everybody who moves across the pass.

Irakli Garibashvili spoke about different infrastructure projects ongoing with the investments of the Roads Department of the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure.

“Construction of roads and highways brings rapid development and prosperity. We understand that it is quite a long process, and these large-scale projects require huge expenses, but you can see that the country is changing. The country is developing, it developed, strengthened, enriched, and this wealth created in the country, will be distributed according to regions,” he said.

The constructed sector comprises 65 bridges and 38 tunnels. It reduces travel time across the Rikoti Pass by 25 minutes.

The 52-kilometre-long road construction at the Rikoti Pass has been going since 2019. The project also includes the construction of 97 bridges and 51 tunnels.

Over 10,000 people, 70% of them Georgian citizens are employed in the construction works. The total value of the project financed by the European Investment Bank (EIB), World Bank (WB) and Asian Development Bank (ABD) is GEL 2.6 billion. The works are expected to be completed in 2024.