"North-South" highway construction to get under way in 2010

The Asian Development Bank will allocate $500 mln. for the implementation of “North-South” highway. $60 mln. will be provided for conducting the first stage of works next year. The program is estimated worth $ 962 mln., Armenia’s Transport and Communication Minister Gurgen Sargsyan told a press conference today.

Panorama.am recalls that Armenia and Georgia reached an agreement over “North-South” in 2008 as the Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan paid a visit to Georgia.

The German-Austrian ILF company has worked out a conception for the implementation of “North-South” highway projects, while the technical-economic survey was conducted by the Japanese “PADECO”.

According to the minister, the “North-South” will cut Yerevan-Batumi highway for 30%, we will get a 450km-long way, instead of the current 700km.

“The program is very important. It’s of regional nature and will have an economic significance to our country,” G. Sargsyan said.