Roads Department has awarded a contract for construction of 9km Kvesheti-Kobi Tunnel to the international tender winner company. China Railway Tunnel Group Co will construct a new 9km tunnel. Deputy Chairman of Roads Department, Aleksandre Tevdoradze and Deputy Manager of International Department at China Railway Tunnel Group Co, Zhai Feifei signed a contract for construction of a 9km tunnel.

Implementation terms of a project worth GEL 909 024 280, are four years.

China Railway Tunnel Group Co., Ltd. (CRTG) founded in 1984, is the largest engineering enterprise specialized in tunneling and underground works of China. Annual turnover of the company amounts to USD 5.5 billion. CRTG has made key achievements in construction technology such as extra-long & large mountain tunnel and underwater tunnel. CRTG has built a variety of tunnels over 5000km up to now. The company has completed several international projects, such as Agren-Pap railway line, Shargun coal technology renovation project in Uzbekistan and Kuala Lumpur MRT project in Malaysia. 

Kvesheti-Kobi road project consists of two lots. Contracts have been awarded for construction of both lots. Overall, the project envisages construction of 22.7 km and 2-lane asphalt concrete road, 6 bridges and 5 tunnels, including construction of one 9 km tunnel. The width of 9km tunnel will be 15 meters, which is quite rare not only in Transcaucasia, but also worldwide. In this regard, Kvesheti-Kobi tunnel will enter the list of tunnels with largest diameters.

Construction of Kvesheti-Kobi road and a tunnel totals GEL 1.2 billion.

Kvesheti-Kobi is a part of North-South corridor, which has transit traffic importance. The road passes through the difficult meteorological route and is characterized with heavy snowfalls in the winter period. New road and 9 km tunnel will solve existing problems. Uninterrupted transit traffic will be possible at any time of year. The tunnel will provide safer and more reliable conditions for road users during winter. In addition to this, a new road will prevent traffic of vehicles in Kazbegi National Park and Gudauri winter resort. The road and other implemented or planned infrastructure projects in Kazbegi municipality will also improve living conditions of population remained in the gorge, which are isolated from the outside world in winter period. It will encourage population to get back to the gorge, contribute to the development of the new tourism directions and economic activities. Nine villages are affected by the project.

The Asian Development Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development finance construction works of Kvesheti-Kobi section.