Georgian Prime Minister held a working meeting with Irakli Karseladze, Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure, and his Deputy Ministers.

At the meeting, plans to be carried out in 2023 and key directions were discussed. Emphasis was placed on the implementation dynamic of the Development Strategy - Vision 2030 of Georgia.

It was noted that 3 billion 600 million GEL has been earmarked for 5,600 projects to be implemented in 2023 by the Ministry Regional Development and Infrastructure, including under programs subordinated to the Ministry. The Minister and Deputy Ministers of Regional Development and Infrastructure briefed Irakli Garibashvili on all key programs and project to be carried out this year.

It was pointed out at the working meeting that road infrastructure, namely the development of the country’s arterial roads, remains one of the key priorities of the Ministry. In 2023, the construction of 207 kilometers of arterial roads will continue. In total, the value of the ongoing 2023 construction projects makes up 6.5 billion GEL.

The active development of the International East-West Highway, an important part of the Middle Corridor, will continue in 2023. Presently, work is underway on 108 kilometers of the highway. Especially noteworthy is the Rikoti Project of the Century with its progress reaching 73% on average. Currently, 41 of Rikoti’s 51 tunnels have been dug, 63 of its 97 bridges have been constructed, and the project’s main sections are planned to be completed at the end of 2023.

In addition to the currently operating 24-kilometer Samtredia-Grigoleti section, an additional 13.5-kilometer section of Samtredia-Grigoleti will be commissioned, eventually allowing for travel from Zestaponi (Artgveta Intersection) using an 86-kilometer 4-lane expressway. In addition, work will continue on the 12-kilometer section of Samtredia-Grigoleti Lot 3.

In 2023, work will continue on the section of the Grigoleti-Kobuleti Road and, according to the plan, arterial roads will extend by an additional 6 kilometers. At the end of 2023, it is also planned to finalize the construction of the vitally important 13.3-kilometer Batumi Bypass. Overall, under the construction of all ongoing sections of the East-West Highway, every major section is scheduled to be completed in 2024, as a result of which it will be possible to travel from Tbilisi to Batumi in just 3-3.5 hours.

Five kilometers of the unique 9-kilometer Kvesheti-Kobi Road Tunnel, with its diameter reaching 15 meters, have already been dug. The tunnel is a complex response to every years-long challenge related to the road’s closure due to weather conditions, the local population’s limited access to basic needs, and many other problems. Intensive work on the project will continue in 2023, to be finalized in 2024.

The construction of the Kakheti Highway will continue equally intensively. As part of this work, it is planned to complete the 4-kilometer Vaziani Bypass in 2023. The construction of the 48-kilometer section of the Kakheti Highway will continue to be completed as scheduled, in 2024. In 2023, the construction of the 17-kilometer section of Sagarejo-Badiauri will also start.

The intensive rehabilitation of roads in the regions will also continue. The rehabilitation of the 30-kilometer Tianeti-Akhmeta Road, the shortest route connecting Kakheti and Mtskheta-Mtianeti, will be completed in 2023. A 16-kilometer section will be added to the completed 35-kilometer Samtskhe-Javakheti Connector, with the road’s full completion expected in 2025. At the end of 2023, it is also planned to finalize the rehabilitation of all main sections of the 42-kilometer Khulo-Zarzma Connector of the Adjara Region, eventually to reduce travel time in half.

Work will continue toward improving road traffic conditions along the 63-kilometer Phaveli-Abano-Omalo Road leading to Tusheti. The rehabilitation of the 51-kilometer section of the Lentekhi-Lasdili-Ushguli-Mestia Road will also continue, and rehabilitation work will commence on the 34-kilometer section of the Gombori Road. Overall, in 2023, the Roads Department of Georgia will finalize the rehabilitation of about 450-500 kilometers under the ongoing rehabilitation of 1,022 kilometers of roads.

As for the water supply direction, in order to provide the population of Georgia with continuous international-standard water supply, active work will continue in more than 165 locations across the country. In this direction, it bis also planned in 2023 to finalize projects in almost 70 locations, as a result of which 200,000 people will enjoy improved water supply. Of these, more than 60,000 have not had access to uninterrupted water supply, but will now be provided with access to 24/7 international standard water supply. Among others, the following will be completed in 2023:

In 2023, under the State Installment Plan-Based Construction Program initiated by the Prime Minister, work will continue or start on rehabilitation/construction projects in Bolnisi, Kazreti Settlement, Lanchkhuti, Ozurgeti, Gudauri, and Tskaltubo.

In 2023, intensive work will continue under phase two of the Renewed Regions Program initiated by the Prime Minister. As part of the completed work under phase one, 564 buildings in the country’s 63 municipalities have been upgraded, with energy effective materials used to replace the doors, windows, and stained-glass windows, also engineering networks up and running, 92 parks and square gardens renovated or built - 400 million GEL has been spent on the work above.

On the Prime Minister’s initiative, a program for building/rehabilitating 885 kindergartens will launch. Across the country, 330 new kindergartens will be built, and 55 existing kindergartens will be rehabilitated. The program will be carried out in several stages, with 1.3 billion GEL allocated from the state budget to this end, with 100 million GEL already earmarked in the 2023 budget for works under stage one. Also in 2023, it is planned to complete the construction of 26 schools, and rehabilitation will additionally begin in 60 schools.

Notably, as part of preparation for European Under-21 Championship 2023, the construction and rehabilitation of 10 football stadiums is nearing completion. The ongoing effort encompasses both the construction of new stadiums and major rehabilitation of existing stadiums and supplementary infrastructure, in line with UEFA standards.