Armenian villagers protest decades-long road neglect

Residents of Taronik, a village in Armenia’s Armavir Province, on Thursday staged a protest over a long-standing road problem, threatening to block a major highway linking Yerevan and Armavir.

Villagers said they had planned a similar action on March 15 but called it off after authorities promised to address the issue. The dispute centers on a roughly 1-kilometer section of the road that locals say has remained in poor condition for about three decades despite repeated complaints to successive governments.

“We have raised this issue for years, both verbally and in writing, and have always been promised repairs, but nothing has changed,” residents said.

While expressing gratitude for the recent construction of a new kindergarten in the village, locals argued that the damaged road makes access difficult, especially for children, who must navigate mud during rain and heavy dust in dry weather.

Protesters also voiced a lack of confidence in the local and regional authorities, appealing instead to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to personally oversee the project.

Officials from the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, representatives of the Road Department, and contractors said to have won the construction tender met with residents at the site.

Following the talks, villagers agreed to suspend plans to block the highway after officials pledged that repair work would begin on April 30.