At the Armenian government meeting on May 8th, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Gnel Sanosyan presented a project resolution for the signing of a credit agreement between the Republic of Armenia and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) for the construction of a road corridor segment "North-South" from Sisian to Kajaran.
The new segment of the Sisian-Kajaran road in southern Armenia, approximately 60 km long, is divided into 3 segments: northern, Bargushat tunnel, and southern sections (27 km, 8.6 km, and 24.2 km respectively).
According to the minister, the completion of the works will almost halve the road: the existing 118-kilometer route will be shortened to 60 km from Kajaran to Sisian, and the average speed on the section where it is 50 km/h will increase to 100 km/h, providing comfort and safety.
The total amount of credit funds is approximately 373 million euros, of which 236 million euros are planned to be allocated by the EBRD. The road section will pass near the settlements of Lernadzor, Gegi, and Nor Asthaberd in Kajaran and will approach the exit from the Bargushat tunnel. On this section, 5 small tunnels and 11 bridges will also be constructed.
The completion date for the construction is planned for 2030, with an additional 2 years for defect correction.
"North-South" is the largest investment transport project in the history of independent Armenia. It began construction in 2009 with the aim of connecting the south of the country with the north. This will create an international transport corridor providing uninterrupted transportation of goods from the Persian Gulf to the Black Sea.
Currently, the country's territory with a population of three million is crossed by road transport on average in 11 hours. The new 556-kilometer corridor is expected to halve this time. Despite the project's importance for Armenia, "North-South" is being built very slowly. The construction of the highway was supposed to be completed by 2019, but so far only 5-6% of the route's length has been put into operation.
Authorities hope to complete the highway construction within 8-9 years.
