Georgian PM commends opening of new 12 km section of Rikoti Highway

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze congratulated the nation on the opening of an additional 12 km section of the Rikoti Highway, emphasizing that this is a part of a four-lane, 48 km stretch of road. Only 4 km remain to be constructed for this historic project.

During his speech at the opening ceremony on Tuesday, Kobakhidze highlighted the significant increase in road construction pace over the past 12 years.

“Today is an exciting day—we were in Anaklia, where construction has begun on the Anaklia deep-sea port, and we visited Kulevi, where a large oil refinery is under construction. Now, we are opening a vital section of our highway, which demonstrates that the country is moving forward. It is our duty to continue working for the development of our nation,” he stated.

He noted that the newly opened highway section will enhance transportation, with one lane already operational through the rehabilitated Rikoti tunnel and a newly constructed tunnel, each extending up to 2 kilometers—making them among the longest on the Rikoti route. In total, there are now 49 tunnels and 88 bridges along the route, showcasing the extensive work completed in a short time.

Kobakhidze further remarked that the pace of road construction has significantly increased, stating that while 68 km of highways were constructed nationwide over the previous years, approximately 300 km have been added recently.

The PM emphasized that Rikoti Highway is part of the European strategic road route—East-West Corridor—where the opening of each section substantially improves mobility, reduces travel time and distance. The new route, designed to meet modern standards, reduces travel distances by 8 km and halves journey times, increasing capacity and transit cargo flow.

“The construction of the four-lane highway through the challenging mountainous terrain of the Likhi Ridge has always been recognized as a critical engineering project and is boldly referred to as the project of the century, with no comparable projects in Georgia,” he added.

Kobakhidze underlined that the new road will enhance the competitiveness of strategic international transport corridors passing through Georgia, bringing more benefits to the country’s economy.