The vehicles of companies conducting passenger transportation between Armenia and Russia, and which have been waiting for the reopening of the Upper Lars checkpoint on the Georgia-Russia border since Sunday, are returning to Armenia.

These companies informed Armenian News-NEWS.am that according to their information, the motorway, which has been closed due to floods and falling rocks, will remain closed for at least one week, and that is why their vehicles are returning to Armenia.

Due to the closure of the Upper Lars checkpoint, NEWS.am has been receiving calls from people. According to one of them, a part of a bridge has collapsed as a result of the floods, and there is a queue of 6-7 kilometers of passenger cars and 10 kilometers of trucks on the Russian side. And many trucks loaded with perishable food are waiting on the Georgian side.

According to the information received from Georgian Emergency Situations Department and the North Ossetian Crisis Management Center of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations, the Stepantsminda-Lars motorway has been closed to all vehicles. The Georgian Roads Department  reported that the Terek River has overflowed its banks due to heavy rains and flooded part of the motorway between Georgia and Russia. The road was damaged at the 136th kilometer—at the neutral zone—of the Mtskheta-Stepantsminda-Lars international motorway. The damaged section is 80 kilometers.