Georgia has cancelled international tenders for the construction of major road sections that form part of a regional highway linking the country with the borders of Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The Georgian Roads Department said tenders announced in August 2024 for the Rustavi–Tsiteli Bridge and the Algeti–Sadakhlo road section were cancelled due to low competition among bidders.
The procurement process covered both construction works and project supervision services.
The planned infrastructure is part of international transport routes connecting Georgia with neighbouring countries and wider Eurasian trade networks.
The project included building a 61.3-kilometre four-lane concrete expressway equipped with lighting systems, along with 26 bridges and 11 interchanges designed to improve traffic flow and safety.
The road sections form part of the regional East–West Corridor and North–South Corridor, which connect the South Caucasus to trade routes linking Europe and Asia.
Construction had originally been scheduled to start in 2025 and be completed in phases over around 30 months.
The project was jointly financed by the Georgian government and the European Investment Bank, which allocated a €250 million loan.
Officials say the main reason behind the cancellation was low participation in the bidding process.
Limited competition in large infrastructure tenders can indicate several issues, including concerns about project costs, complex technical requirements, or market uncertainty affecting international construction companies.
Governments often cancel and relaunch tenders under revised conditions in order to attract more bidders.
Experts say the situation also reflects wider challenges in Georgia’s transport infrastructure.
Political analyst David Dzidzishvili, speaking to AnewZ, said the country still faces infrastructure gaps that slow cargo movement across the region.
He noted that freight traffic heading towards Armenia often experiences congestion and damaged road sections, which delays deliveries and increases logistics costs.
Dzidzishvili also highlighted the stalled Anaklia Deep Sea Port, a strategic maritime development that has yet to secure a final investor.
Georgia’s location between Europe and Asia gives it the potential to become a key transit hub in the South Caucasus.
However, transport experts say progress on large infrastructure projects — including highways, ports and logistics corridors — will be critical for improving regional connectivity and strengthening trade links with partners such as the European Union.
Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has dismissed media reports that CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Moscow ear...
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has called for greater economic cooperation among Muslim countries, saying their combined economic weight remai...
Thousands of Russians are hunting for apartments in Tbilisi and Yerevan - not because of a mobilisati...
Oil prices fell after the U.S. expanded economic sanctions on Iran, as Tehran vowed to retaliate and warned it had tools to respond, raising concerns over potential disruption to regional oil supplies.
Rescuers in Nepal used helicopters on Thursday to scour for hundreds still missing after a wall of mud and rock collapsed into a river on the Himalayan border with China's Tibet, sending catastrophic floods through towns and valleys, killing 162 people.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told allied foreign ministers Washington will focus on sanctions and other pressure on Iran “for the time being”, Axios reports. Meanwhile, Iran and Oman have resumed talks on a temporary shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz.
Kyiv has recently received a small number of U.S.-made Patriot interceptors capable of downing Russian ballistic missiles, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. It comes as Britain and France pledged stronger military support for Ukraine.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has called for greater economic cooperation among Muslim countries, saying their combined economic weight remains disproportionately small compared with their population, strategic location and resources.
The inaugural Silk Road Finance & Technology Forum brought together policymakers, investors and technology companies as Central Asia looks to build a more connected financial system and compete for a bigger share of global fintech investment.
Kazakhstan is discussing support for the Trans-Caspian green energy corridor with the European Commission, as work continues on a project to transmit electricity from Central Asia towards European markets, Kazakhstan's Energy Ministry said.
Uzbekistan's region of Karakalpakstan is developing three cryptocurrency mining facilities and three data centers with a combined investment of $5.1 billion, as the region seeks to attract larger and higher-quality investments.
A restaurant payment with a Visa card in Damascus has become a symbol of Syria’s reconnection with the global financial system.
The Silk Road Finance & Technology Forum will bring more than 6,000 policymakers, investors and technology leaders from 74 countries to Tashkent, as Central Asia seeks a bigger role in the global fintech landscape.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment