Subscription

There is a need to improve connectivity to remote poor areas. The proposed project will focus on about 50 km of a secondary road in central Georgia that provides access to about 23,000 people living in the municipality of Kharagauli, and an additional 7,000 people in the 13 villages along the road alignment. The project road connects Kharagauli to the East West Highway, which is subject to occasional closure because of landslides, in which event the project road provides an alternative road for traffic using the highway. In future, the project road could serve as an alternative route, as required by Georgian legislation, in the event that the parallel section of the East West Highway is to be tolled.

The project road has deteriorated considerably and many sections of it are now irreparable and impassable during rain and snow. This clearly suppresses the development of the poor region that the road serves. Villages along the road are not accessible during winter and are suffering from substantial out-migration and lack of employment opportunities. The poor condition of the road also prevents emergency vehicles from accessing the villages during most adverse weather conditions.

This area has the highest regional poverty level of any region in the country. The project will help alleviate isolation of rural communities in this area, strengthen domestic trade, and

expand opportunities for more inclusive economic growth. Upgrading of the road to an all-weather standard will provide better opportunities of the local population to sell their products and better access to social facilities such as schools and medical services. The improved road will also facilitate access to the nearby Borjomi Kharagauli National Park and Nunisi Health Resort, resulting in new opportunities for tourism development in the region.