The Samtredia–Grigoleti bridge, which collapsed in February 2023, is now expected to reopen in 2027, according to Infrastructure Minister Revaz Sokhadze. As he said, the project will not be completed in 2026 as previously hoped.
Sokhadze noted that rehabilitation works are ongoing but emphasized that completing the project has been significantly delayed. “Unfortunately, the Samtredia bridge will not open this year. We are actively working to speed up the process so that people can soon use this highway and travel smoothly from Tbilisi to Batumi,” he said.
The collapse affected an 810-meter bridge on the first section of the Samtredia–Grigoleti highway, which is 11.5 km in total. Construction of the corridor began in 2014 and was initially scheduled for completion in 2016, but the project has faced repeated delays and contractor changes.
Over the years, multiple companies have been involved, including Altcom, Akkord, and later JEU Group. After the 2023 collapse, international experts concluded that poor-quality work by Akkord caused the failure. Since late 2024, reconstruction and demolition works have been carried out by Caucasus Road Project under a new contract.
