The Road Department of Armenia has reported significant progress on the 32-kilometer Kajaran-Agarak section, which forms part of the fourth phase of the international North-South Transport Corridor.
Intensive earthworks are underway at the site, including excavation, embankment construction, and blasting operations to prepare the roadbed. A key element of the project is the construction of a 360-meter-long tunnel. Simultaneously, work is progressing on the construction of a bypass interchange around the city of Meghri and the concreting of road infrastructure components.
The project involves extensive use of machinery and labor, including local workers from the Meghri region. It is being co-financed by the Government of Armenia and the Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development (EFSD).
The North-South Corridor project, which aims to connect Iran and Georgia through Armenia, is estimated to cost $3.5 billion. The total length of the highway will be 556 kilometers, with nearly half of the budget—$1.5 billion—allocated for the Sisian-Agarak section.
This section includes the Sisian-Kajaran road ($920 million), a tunnel ($250 million), and the 32-kilometer Kajaran-Agarak road ($249 million).
The Armenian Parliament has already approved an EFSD loan of $200 million for the construction of an 8.6-kilometer-long Kajaran Tunnel in the Syunik Province.
Once the southern section is completed, the route from the Iranian border to Armenia’s central regions will be shortened by 54 kilometers, saving up to two hours of travel time. Additionally, the average speed on the upgraded highway will double—from 50 to 100 kilometers per hour.
