Georgia Regional Connectivity Project

pipeline

The Project aims to further support the development of the of the Tbilisi-Bakurtsikhe-Lagodekhi corridor (Kakheti Highway) and enhance connectivity between the cities of Telavi and Gurjaani, to catalyze and enable development of the Kakheti region and regional integration through key national road corridors.Kakheti Highway starts at the eastern of the capital Tbilisi and continues to the Balakan-Lagodekhi border crossing, which is a vital link for tourism and trade. Construction of road sections was completed between Tbilisi and Sagarejo and is currently ongoing with the Bank support between Sagarejo and Badiauri. The Project will finance the subsequent section of the highway up to Bakurtsikhen, and the road between Gurjaani and Telavi. The road section between Bakurtsikhe-Gurjaani was road already constructed with Bank support. The Project also aims to strengthen the institutional capacity in the roads sector in Georgia focusing on road network and asset management as well as climate risk management and resilience.The Project entails five components:Component 1: Connectivity Improvements on the Eastern Corridor will support the construction of two four-lane segments (Lot 4: Badiauri-Chalaubani and Lot 5 Chalaubani-Bakurtsike) with the length of 22.6 km and 9.1 km, respectively, along the Kakheti Highway, and a 36.6 km two-lane road the towns of Gurjaani and Telavi. Component 2: Project Management Support will cover Incremental operating costs, project management, and staff development. It will also finance the conduct of annual project audits and oversight of civil works by Supervision Engineers.Component 3: Institutional Strengthening, includes constructing and adequately equipping a centralized digital highway traffic management center and setting up a national Intelligent Transportation System for road asset management; developing framework and tools within RD to strengthen climate resilience of the road network; and provision of customized training and support to local beneficiaries, including females, to develop relevant business skills.Component 4: Analytics Supporting Regional Integration and Sustainability of the Road Sector, will examine the potential of developing a road tolling program and support analytical work aimed at assessing the broader economic benefits of Georgia road development. Component 5: Contingent Emergency Response is a zero-dollar component designed to provide swift response in the event of an emerging crisis or emergency.