The construction of the Rikoti road is truly the project of the century and is the most challenging and important section of the East-West International Road Corridor. Works on all tunnels are proceeding according to plan. We have completed tunnels that we are already using. Half of the tunnels have already been cut and the corresponding paving works are being carried out. Also, there is good progress in relation to bridges - the installation of the longest, unique metal bridge is in progress, the Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure Irakli Karseladze said after visiting the construction works of the main Rikoti road.

The construction of the Ricoti 4-lane high-speed highway is actively continuing. 24 tunnels have already been cut, of which 3 completed tunnels are already used by vehicles. Works are being carried out simultaneously on 88 bridges, of which 30 have already been built, and 6 completed bridges are open to traffic.

The construction of the Ricoti pass section is divided into 4 sections: Chumateleti-Khevi 11.6 km, Khevi-Ubisa 12.2 km, Ubisa-Shorapani 13 km and Shorapani-Argveta 14.7 km. In total, up to 52 km of roads, 97 bridges and 51 tunnels are planned to be built on Rikoti.

"This road is important from the point of view of the international corridor, which is called the Middle Corridor, which is becoming even more relevant under the current situation and the ongoing war in Ukraine. Of course, under the conditions of the new road, the East-West road corridor will be even more attractive for international shipments and will play a very important role in terms of economic growth of the country," said Irakli Karseladze.

The Rikoti road section is one of the important parts of the East-West International road (E 60). Its modernization into a modern standard 4-lane high-speed highway will increase the road's capacity and transit traffic. At the same time, the quality of traffic safety will be significantly improved, and travel time will be significantly reduced. At the moment, the permissible speed of movement on Rikoti is 60 km/h, after the completion of the construction, the permissible speed of movement will increase, and in some sections it will almost double.

The new road meets all modern road safety standards.

Work on the Rikoti Pass did not stop even during the pandemic. The 2 km two-lane Khevi-Ubisa section of the highway was opened for traffic in September 2021.

According to the Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure, specific sections of the new road of the Rikoti Pass will be opened already this year, and the construction of the new main road of Rikoti will be completed in 2023.

The construction project of the Rikoti pass road also envisages the arrangement of special spaces for the sale of their own products for the residents of the villages adjacent to the highway in Surami, Shrosha and Zestafon.

The total cost of the construction works of the Ricoti pass section is up to 2.6 billion GEL. More than 4,000 people are currently employed on Ricoh projects, and approximately 68% of the employees are Georgian citizens.