Georgia Expands East-West Highway

Georgia is continuing the expansion of its East-West Highway, the main road corridor linking the Azerbaijani border, Tbilisi, the Black Sea coast and the Turkish frontier. About 325 km of motorway sections have now been completed, while construction of the Batumi-Sarpi road has entered a new phase and financing has been secured for key sections of the Tbilisi Bypass. The projects are intended to strengthen Georgia's role on the trade route between Europe and Asia.

Georgia completes about 325 km of highway

Infrastructure Minister Revaz Sokhadze said roughly 325 km of the East-West Highway have been completed. He described the corridor as one of Georgia's main infrastructure priorities, citing shorter travel times, lower logistics costs and improved connections between regions as key objectives.

Development of the route has been underway since 2006 as Georgia replaces or supplements older two-lane roads with modern motorway sections.

Published estimates of the corridor's total length vary depending on the endpoints and road sections included. The World Bank previously described the East-West Highway as an approximately 410-km route connecting the Red Bridge at the Azerbaijani border through Tbilisi to Poti and onward toward Sarpi.

The highway forms a central part of Georgia's road infrastructure on the Middle Corridor, the Trans-Caspian route connecting Central Asia and China with the South Caucasus, Türkiye and European markets.

Batumi-Sarpi moves into construction

The status of the Batumi-Sarpi section has advanced beyond the planning stage. On September 9, 2026, Georgia's Roads Department signed a construction contract with China Railway Tunnel Group for the new 11.3-km highway, with authorities announcing the start of the project.

The road will extend the Batumi Bypass toward the Georgia-Türkiye border at Sarpi and represents one of the remaining major projects on the western end of the East-West corridor.

The construction contract is worth GEL809 million, equivalent to about $310 million at the time it was signed. The project is backed by the Asian Development Bank and Georgian state co-financing. It includes a 7.6-km tunnel, a major bridge across the Chorokhi River, other bridge structures, slope stabilization and approximately 500 metres of Black Sea coastal protection works.

The Asian Development Bank describes the project as an approximately 11-km, two-lane road designed to provide reliable year-round traffic movement. It is expected to reduce congestion on the existing coastal route, improve road safety and facilitate trade through Sarpi, one of the main road crossings between Georgia and Türkiye.

Tbilisi bypass receives $250 million financing

A second major project is being developed around the Georgian capital. Georgia and the Asian Development Bank signed a $250 million loan agreement in August 2026 to finance two sections of the Tbilisi Bypass.

The financing covers approximately 18.9 km between Tbilisi Airport and Lochini and between Lochini and Rustavi. The scheme calls for a four-lane divided highway intended to divert part of the transit traffic away from the capital, reduce congestion and increase the capacity of Georgia's main transport corridors.

The Asian Development Bank classifies the project as part of Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Corridor 2. Its stated goals include improving transport efficiency along Georgia's East-West Highway, road safety and road-asset management. The project was approved on July 29, 2026.

The bypass is important for freight transport because a significant share of traffic moving between eastern and western Georgia currently passes through or close to the country's largest urban area.

Rikoti removes a major road bottleneck

The Rikoti Pass between eastern and western Georgia has historically been one of the most difficult sections of the route. Its mountainous terrain required extensive construction of tunnels, bridges and viaducts.

Georgia's Roads Department reported in 2026 that construction of the Rikoti motorway had been completed, removing one of the central bottlenecks on the East-West route.

Different parts of the corridor have received financing from the World Bank, European Investment Bank, Asian Development Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and other international institutions.

The World Bank has said that it provided $527 million for East-West Highway development through nine lending operations from 2006, while international financial institutions collectively mobilised about $2 billion for development of the corridor.

Highway strengthens Georgia's Middle Corridor links

The importance of the East-West Highway extends beyond domestic passenger transport. It is part of the network connecting Georgia's Black Sea ports and land borders with Azerbaijan, Türkiye and the wider Trans-Caspian logistics system.

Interest in the Middle Corridor has increased as companies and governments seek additional transport links between Asia and Europe. International lenders are investing in railways, roads, ports and border infrastructure intended to increase capacity and reduce delays along the route.

In June 2026, the World Bank approved a separate $372 million Georgia Accessibility and Transport Enhancement project, known as TC-GATE. The programme will finance rail and road upgrades on Georgia's section of the Trans-Caspian corridor and address infrastructure bottlenecks. The bank expects more than 900,000 people to benefit directly.

Road construction alone, however, does not determine the competitiveness of the corridor. Total transit times also depend on ports, rail terminals, customs procedures and the speed of border crossings.

Batumi-Sarpi reshapes transport in Adjara

The Batumi-Sarpi road is particularly important for Adjara because the existing coastal route handles local, tourist and international traffic through densely settled areas.

The new alignment is intended to divert a significant share of transit traffic away from settlements and provide a more reliable road connection with Türkiye. The 7.6-km tunnel will allow the motorway to bypass difficult terrain and densely developed stretches of the coast.

The scheme may also improve local mobility around the southern part of the Batumi urban area, where vehicle volumes rise significantly during the tourist season.

Its engineering complexity remains substantial. Most of the route involves a long tunnel or major structures, while landslide, rockfall and coastal risks require additional protective works.

Major parts of the corridor remain unfinished

The completion of about 325 km marks substantial progress, but it does not mean that the full East-West system is finished. Major works or procurement remain under way at the western and eastern ends, while the Batumi-Sarpi road and Tbilisi Bypass will require further construction.

Differences in published estimates of the corridor's total length also make simple completion percentages misleading. Some documents define the East-West route primarily as the E60 connection from the Azerbaijani border to Poti, while others include the wider route toward Sarpi and the Turkish border.

The 325-km figure is therefore best understood as the government's current estimate of completed motorway sections rather than a fixed percentage of a single universally defined route.

FAQ

How much of Georgia's East-West Highway has been completed?

Infrastructure Minister Revaz Sokhadze said at the end of September 2026 that approximately 325 km of motorway sections had been completed.

What is Georgia's East-West Highway?

It is the country's main east-west road system connecting the Azerbaijani border, Tbilisi, central and western Georgia, Black Sea ports and the route toward Türkiye.

Has construction of the Batumi-Sarpi road started?

The construction contract for the 11.3-km section was signed on September 9, 2026, and Georgian authorities announced the launch of the project. China Railway Tunnel Group is the contractor.

How much will the Batumi-Sarpi road cost?

The construction contract is worth about GEL809 million, equivalent to roughly $310 million when signed. The wider financing package backed by the Asian Development Bank is larger.

What will be built on the Batumi-Sarpi section?

The project includes roughly 11.3 km of new road, a 7.6-km tunnel, major bridge structures, slope stabilization and Black Sea coastal protection works.

How large is the Tbilisi Bypass project?

The two sections financed under the Asian Development Bank loan total about 18.9 km and will form a four-lane divided road between the airport area, Lochini and Rustavi.

How is the highway connected to the Middle Corridor?

The road is one component of Georgia's infrastructure on the Trans-Caspian trade route linking Central Asia and the South Caucasus with Türkiye and Europe.