The European Investment Bank (EIB) has said that it will lend €250 million ($283.7 million) to Georgia to upgrade a section of the country’s East-West Highway (EWH), which is the main connection for long distance road traffic in Georgia and a direct part of Europe’s TEN-T infrastructure.
The wider aim is to improve Georgia’s connectivity to Europe via a highway that connects Baku in Azerbaijan on the Caspian Sea via Georgia (the start of EWH is in the capital Tbilisi) to Turkey and the ports of Poti and Batumi on the Black Sea. The EWH is also vital for landlocked Armenia as it provides the country with access to Georgian Black Sea ports.
Approximately 100 km of the 410 km highway will be upgraded which will improve road safety and travel conditions, lower travel times and reduce vehicle operating and maintenance costs. The EIB loan is covered by the European Union (EU)’s Comprehensive Guarantee. As a financial institution of the EU, the EIB activity outside the EU is directly contributing to the implementation of the EU’s external policies.
The East-West highway is the main artery for long distance road traffic in Georgia and is being used by most traffic from Azerbaijan and Armenia to the Black Sea ports and to Turkey, as well as long distance traffic to and from Tbilisi. This highway is also part of the Pan-European corridor linking the EU with Central Asia through the Caucasus and part of the Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia (TRACECA) programme.