Georgia’s Infrastructure Minister Revaz Sokhadze rejected claims that the pace of road infrastructure construction has slowed, calling such assessments “not serious.” He said comparisons should account for the scale and complexity of individual projects, as well as Georgia’s terrain, geology and climate.
Sokhadze highlighted the completion of the Rikoti highway project over the past six years, describing it as one of the region’s most technically challenging road projects. He said the country currently has numerous major road projects underway or planned.
According to the minister, the tender for the new Batumi-Sarpi road and tunnel has been completed, with construction expected to start soon. Tenders have also been completed for sections two through five of the Tbilisi bypass, while work is progressing on the Kakheti road and the KobI-Kvesheti project.
The Transport Corridor Research Center has separately argued that Georgia’s road construction pace lags behind projects in countries such as Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan. Its review said delays affect development, donor funding, industrial capacity, construction costs and economic growth.
