Armenia government finds loans for some sections of North-South Highway construction

YEREVAN. – The Government of Armenia has found loans for the construction of some sections of the North-South Highway, which will run through the country. 

Deputy Minister of Transport and Communication Artur Arakelyan told about the abovementioned to reporters, after Thursday’s Cabinet meeting.

In particular, the Artashat–Yerevan and the Yerevan–Ashtarak sections are already completed with the first tranche.

Work is underway in the Ashtarak–Talin and the Talin–Lanjik sections.

Funds have been found also for the construction of the Lanjik-Gyumri and the Agarak-Kajaran sections, and a contractor is already selected for the first of these lots.

But no funding has yet been found for the Gyumri-Bavra and the Artashat-Kajaran sections.

Once fully constructed, the North-South concrete highway will reduce the motorway between the Iranian and the Georgian borders—via Armenia—from the present-day 556 kilometers to 495 kilometers.

The total cost of construction is about $960 million.

The main donor—with around $500 million—of this project is the Asian Development Bank.