On April 12, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev spoke at length about the implementation of road infrastructure projects in the Karabakh and East Zangazur economic regions at the meeting dedicated to the results of the first quarter of 2022.
In line with the instructions given by the president, Chairman of the Azerbaijani State Agency of Automobile Roads Saleh Mammadov visited Kalbajar, Lachin, Gubadli, Zangilan and Jabrayil regions to get acquainted with the progress of road infrastructure projects in the liberated areas.
During the visit, Mammadov inspected the construction of the Toghanali-Kalbajar-Istisu highway and the Murovdagh tunnel, which will be one of the longest road tunnels in the world.
Currently, a landfill, water pipes and canals are being built on the Toghanali-Kalbajar-Istisu highway. Drilling is underway in the Murovdagh tunnel. Over 1 km of drilling has been carried out in each direction in the tunnel, and the construction of two reserve crossings has been completed.
Then Mammadov familiarized himself with the implementation of mobilization and earthworks on the 72.3 km long Kalbajar-Lachin highway.
He inquired about the progress of construction of a new highway, which bypasses Lachin city, and is scheduled to be commissioned in 2022. It was noted that along with the design of the road, the construction of a landfill and a road bridge is underway.
The Khudafarin-Gubadli-Lachin highway is the next major road development project in Lachin region. Construction and asphalting of 45 km of land in the direction of Gubadli-Lachin, as well as 14 km in the direction of Khanlig, is underway.
The construction of the Horadiz-Jabrayil-Zangilan-Aghband highway (Zangazur corridor), which starts from the Khudafarin-Gubadli-Lachin highway, is also underway.
The chairman was informed that the construction of the roadbed, pipes and crossings, tunnels and bridges along the road is going on at a high level under the plan.
Mammadov gave recommendations and instructions on the timely and quality implementation of road infrastructure projects during the inspection of these roads.
The rapid construction of road, energy and social infrastructure in Karabakh and East Zangazur is a worldwide demonstration of the strength and strong economic potential of Azerbaijan.
Priorities for reconstruction include the construction of new transport and communication lines, as well as the restoration of historically existing roads. The region's road construction project includes ten major highways totaling 665.4 kilometers in length.
One of the major projects completed in the region is the 101-km Victory Road, which leads to Shusha and is already in use. Over 1,400 km of roads are currently under construction in the liberated lands as part of 15 different projects. The Ahmadbayli-Fuzul-Shusha, Toghanali-Kalbajar-Istisu, Kalbajar-Lachin, Horadiz-Jabrayil-Zangilan-Aghband, Khudafarin-Gubadli-Lachin, Gubadli-Eyvazli, Shukurbayli-Jabrayil-Hadrut, and Fuzuli highways are great examples for these projects.
The construction of the Barda-Aghdam highway is also one of the road infrastructure projects being implemented in the Karabakh and East Zangazur economic regions.
One of the most important issues in this direction is the rail and road connection between Nakhchivan and Azerbaijan's western regions, as well as the launch of the Zangazur corridor.
The establishment of the Zangazur corridor will help reinvigorate the South Caucasus road network. The corridor will also enable the construction of a railway line between Azerbaijan and Iran, as well as access to Iranian railways. At the same time, the Zangazur corridor will feature a motorway system in addition to trains. So, the creation of this corridor will also allow the opening of a road connection.
The Zangazur corridor and other transit transport corridors provided by Azerbaijan will reshape the world's transportation map. In other words, the new transport infrastructure will gain international status and become a route that Asian and Pacific countries can use.
The corridor will connect Azerbaijan's main territory with the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, as well as Turkey, and will provide new prospects for the Turkic world as a whole. The corridor is of fundamental importance in restoring peace, security and cooperation in the South Caucasus.
