Roads Department states with full responsibility that the information disseminated in printed media about delay of construction of the highway does not correspond to reality. Disseminated information relies on the source (representative of ex-government), who announced that construction of highway up to Rikoti tunnel should be completed by 2014. We think that mentioned information was disseminated intentionally in order to mislead society as everyone is aware (including the author of the announcement) that design of the last two sections of the highway connecting to Rikoti pass have not been started before  2014.  Respective sections are the most critical and construction requires attraction of financial support of donor organizations, whereof active work with international financial institutions is ongoing.

• Construction of 12 km Agara-Zemo Osiauri section of the highway (EWHIP-IV) consists of loan No.5245 and credit No.8263. Date of Contract signature – June 2013;
• Loan negotiations on construction of 13km Zemo Osiauri-Chumateleti section is planned for 2015. At this stage draft feasibility study for Zemo Osiauri-Chumateleti section is under preparation. Detailed design of mentioned section will start from October.
• Date of loan negotiations on construction of Chumateleti-Rikoti tunnel presumably is 2016.

On the basis of the foregoing, the ground of dissemination of false information is unclear, while the real data prove to the contrary.

We re-disclose to the society information about construction of the highway. As of today GEL 157 mln is spent from the construction budget of III quarters (GEL 220 mln) that is 71% of funds to be applied for that period.

Compared with the similar period of the previous year, III quarters (GEL 213 mln) budget execution for construction projects is 56% that amounts to GEL 130 mln; From construction budget of III quarters of 2012 (GEL 213 mln) 50 % was applied (GEL 106 mln), according to the data of the same period of 2011, budget execution for III quarters (GEL 213 mln) was 55% (GEL 113 mln).

Opening of traffic is planned on more than 40 km sections of the highway by the end of 2014, while traffic was opened on 15.4 km section in 2013, but on 1,5 km in 2012. At this stage, construction activities are ongoing at 7 different sections; in total construction covers 131 km: Ruisi-Agara, Agara-Zemo Osiauri, Kutaisi bypass road, Kutaisi Bypass road-Samtredia, Zestaponi-Kutaisi, Kobuleti bypass – Chakvi road and Samtredia-Grigoleti sections. Construction of 11 km Ruisi-Agara section, 17,3 km Kutaisi bypass road and 14 km Kutaisi bypass - Samtredia road will be completed this year.

Construction of the following road sections will complete in 2015: 19 km Ruisi-Agara section, 10 km long Kutaisi Bypass -Samtredia road and 15.2 km Zestaponi- Kutaisi Bypass road.

Construction of 12 km long Agara-Zemo Osiauri section, 19,2 km Kobuleti bypass – Chakvi road and 11.5 km Samtredia-Grigoleti section will complete by the end of 2016.

Herewith, we would like to underline that we understand assumed responsibility, as we implement such projects that will bring success to the country. Accordingly we focus on the results of high quality. We are not busy with populism. We nominated reasonable and optimal dates for projects completion that excludes misleading the society or improvisation of unrealistic expectations.

Roads Department of Georgia restates that all scheduled projects would be implemented with high quality by the end of the year and all budget resources would be fully applied.