Tbilisi mayor: Rustaveli Avenue overhaul designed to last for decades

Rehabilitation works on Tbilisi's Rustaveli Avenue are progressing at full pace, with the project designed to ensure the capital's main thoroughfare remains in good condition for decades, Mayor Kakha Kaladze said.

Speaking at a municipal government meeting on Wednesday, Kaladze said milling of the existing asphalt surface had been fully completed.

The large-scale rehabilitation project began on 23 July, requiring the full closure of the avenue to traffic. From the second day of work, utility company Georgian Water and Power (GWP) started replacing ageing water supply and sewage networks, a move Kaladze said would significantly improve the avenue's underground infrastructure.

He added that construction of underground cable ducts had also begun beneath the sidewalks, where electrical cables will later be installed.

According to the mayor, contractors are dismantling railings, curbs and other infrastructure elements along the sidewalks to make way for upgraded public spaces built to modern standards. Preparatory work is also under way for the rehabilitation of underground pedestrian crossings.

Kaladze said work is continuing around the clock, with multiple teams operating simultaneously to accelerate the project.

Construction materials are transported to and from the site overnight to minimise the movement of heavy vehicles during the day, he added.

Kaladze apologised for the disruption caused by the works, saying such inconvenience was unavoidable during a project of this scale.