Georgia’s Infrastructure Minister Revaz Sokhadze says the government’s decision to establish a state-owned road maintenance company is aimed at improving the quality and efficiency of road upkeep, citing repeated cases where privately contracted maintenance work resulted in costly repairs. Speaking to the First Channel, Sokhadze pointed to the Samtredia–Grigoleti highway as an example where mistakes in maintenance led to the premature replacement of the road’s wearing surface.
According to the minister, outdated equipment used by many contractors has become a major challenge for the country’s road network. He said some companies continue to operate machinery dating back to the 1970s and 1980s, including on key highways, and argued that Georgia must modernize maintenance practices to protect the multi-billion-lari infrastructure assets built in recent years.
Sokhadze said the ministry has already allocated funding to purchase 120 units of modern road maintenance equipment. He stressed that the state company would not compete with private businesses but would be responsible for maintaining the country’s main highway network while encouraging private firms to improve their technical capacity through performance-based contracts and incentive programs tied to quality and timely project delivery.
The minister also rejected criticism that the initiative represents a return to Soviet-era economic models, noting that similar arrangements exist in countries such as Spain and the Netherlands. Under the government’s plan, the new state-owned company will initially take over maintenance and management of the 105-kilometer Gori–Argveta international highway. The move marks a significant shift from the current system, under which road maintenance is carried out by private contractors selected through public tenders.
