ADB helped improve four sections of the East-West Highway which carries over 60% of Georgia's transit trade. The ongoing North-South Corridor is set to improve regional connectivity and cargo transit, while the ongoing Batumi bypass road will divert heavy traffic from the port city of Batumi to help boost trade and tourism. The ADB-financed Kobuleti bypass road has already helped to reduce traffic jams for Kobuleti residents and visitors, improve air quality, and create a safer environment. The upgraded network will strengthen Georgia’s position as a regional transport and logistics hub.
Transcript
Georgia’s roads are helping drive the country’s development from the East-West Highway that carries over 60% of its transit trade to the North-South Corridor improving regional connectivity.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is helping improve these roads to make travel faster and safer.
Shane Rosenthal
Country Director for Georgia
Asian Development Bank
The ADB-financed projects are going to ensure safe travel and shorter travel times along modern highways. This also has a benefit of diverting heavy traffic from Georgian towns, improving road safety, air quality, and living conditions for both locals and visitors.
ADB financed the construction of four sections of the East-West Highway including the 33-kilometer Kobuleti Bypass Road.
Since the road was completed, the resort town of Kobuleti has fewer traffic jams, better air quality, and a safer environment for locals and tourists.
Roman Pataridze
Adjara resident
I can only say good things about Kobuleti bypass road. It has relieved the whole town from traffic jams. We now drive freely in the town. What is most positive and important about this road is that it has shortened the road and we can drive freely to Tbilisi and back. It’s a great means of comfortable transportation.
The Kobuleti Bypass is being extended southwards to bypass the city of Batumi, helping to boost trade while diverting traffic away from the city.
Archil Chikovani
Batumi Mayor
This project is important for our city in many ways. First, it’s one of the steps toward easing the traffic in the city and it will also improve ecological situation. Also, obviously improved transit cargo and transport movement will have rapid economic effect not only in our region and the city, but at the country level.
The East-West Highway links one of the six transport corridors of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program, a partnership of countries promoting regional cooperation for sustainable development.
ADB is also helping to build a 23-kilometer road from Kvesheti to Kobi in the north of the country, to ease traffic at tourist spot Gudauri and improve regional cargo transit.
Irakli Karseladze
Minister
Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia
ADB’s involvement in Georgia’s once-in-a-century, historic projects is exceptional. On one hand, the East-West Corridor is very important, and the Kvesheti-Kobi is a historical project with a unique 9km tunnel. Apart from financial aid, ADB’s support in providing expertise, teamwork, and problem-solving assistance is also important to us.
