The purchase of land needed for the Ponichala bypass section of the Tbilisi–Rustavi highway is expected to cost GEL 17.1 million, according to information provided by the Ministry of Infrastructure to BMG.
The project requires the acquisition of 66 land plots with a total area of 62,271 square meters. So far, the state has purchased 51 plots covering 43,173 square meters, spending GEL 12 million. This means the government has paid an average of GEL 279 ($106) per square meter for privately owned land.
Construction of the Tbilisi–Rustavi highway was suspended in 2019 due to design issues and protests from residents of Lower Ponichala, where the original plan placed the road too close to residential areas. A revised 3.6-kilometer project was completed in 2025, featuring two bridges across the Mtkvari River and a new route bypassing the residential zone.
The Infrastructure Ministry launched a GEL 113 million construction tender in October 2025, but it ended unsuccessfully after the only bidder, Turkish company YDA İnşaat, was disqualified due to insufficient documentation. The land acquisition process is also still incomplete, despite the tender having been announced before all required private properties were purchased.
