The Roads Department of the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia continues to develop road infrastructure in the direction of Kakheti. At this stage, the construction of the Bakurtsikhe-Tsnori bypass road section begins.

The project envisages the construction of a 16.6- km -long, two-lane, asphalt-concrete paved road and 6 bridges. It is valued at Gel 87.8 million and is supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Bakurtsikhe-Tsnori bypass road is a part of one of the main roads of Kakheti (Tbilisi-Bakurtsikhe-Lagodekhi), which passes through a densely populated area and is characterized by high intensity of transit traffic. The new road bypasses the densely populated Tsnori and 6 nearby villages (Bakurtsikhe, Kardenakhi, Anagi, Vakiri, Mashnari and Sakobo). Consequently, vehicles moving in the direction of Bakurtsikhe-Tsnori will no longer have to pass through Tsnori and the surrounding village. The traffic flows that were moving in the territory of Tsnori will be transferred to the Tsnori bypass road, which will be important for the local population in terms of ecological and traffic safety. A new bypass road will be built on the side of the Alazani Valley and will connect the Tbilisi-Bakurtsikhe-Lagodekhi-Azerbaijan border international road with the existing domestic road.

Tsnori bypass road will be built by China Road and Bridge Corporation, the winner of the international tender. The construction completion period is 2 years.  

The development of road infrastructure in the direction of Kakheti started with the construction of a 15 km section of the Bakurtsikhe-Telavi-Akhmeta highway - the Gurjaani bypass road, which opened in July this year.

In addition, tenders have already been completed for the construction of the 35 km Tbilisi-Sagarejo section within the Kakheti Expressway. A four-lane road will be built on the Tbilisi-Sagarejo section, which is characterized by high traffic intensity. The construction of the highway will be financed from the state budget. The road design works were carried out by highly qualified Australian and American companies with the financial support of the World Bank. Tbilisi-Sagarejo section is divided into three lots.

On the Tbilisi-Sagarejo section, the intensity of traffic flows has significantly increased, and the existing road passes through densely populated villages and cities (Vaziani, Sartichala, Ninotsminda, Sagarejo). The construction of a new road will significantly improve traffic safety and reduce travel time. In addition, the project will support the development of agriculture and tourism in the Kakheti region and increase the competitiveness of transit corridors through Georgia. This is a road of international importance and as a result of its construction, travel time to Kakheti will be halved.

Importantly, based on an engineering and financial analysis conducted by the Roads Department, road construction was divided into lots in such a way that, while ensuring high competition, local companies were allowed to participate in the tender independently. As a result, 1 out of 3 lots will be built by a Georgian company.

For Kakheti, as the region with the most growing interest in tourism, a well-developed road infrastructure that meets modern standards is very important. In the 10-year development plan of the country, a total of 2 billion GEL will be invested in the development of Kakheti road infrastructure.