The 82-kilometer-long Toghanali-Kalbajar-Istisu highway is one of the major road infrastructure projects built on the territory of the Karabakh and East Zangezur economic regions by order of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.
Toghanali-Kalbajar 56 km, Kalbajar-Istisu 26 km is the project length of the highway connecting the Goygol and Kalbajar districts. The Murovdag range begins at the 16th km of the Toghanali-Kalbajar project and rises from 1700 m to 3250 m at the peak of Murovdag.
The construction of the Murovdag tunnel, which will be one of the world's longest car tunnels, is continuing in this section. The tunnel will be 12 meters wide and contain two traffic lanes in one direction. Additionally, three tunnels with lengths of 561.2 m, 626.9 m, and 947.90 m are being built.
The Murovdag tunnel (Tunnel No. 3) has two parts, a left part that is 11654.37 meters long and a right part that is 11658.91 meters long. A total of 4684 meters of drilling and spraying work have been completed in the left direction, and 2012 meters of belt concrete work have been finished. In the right direction, a total of 4849 meters of drilling and spraying work have been completed, as well as 660 meters of belt concrete work.
Tunnel No. 1 with a length of 561.2 m, Tunnel No. 2 with a length of 626.9 m, and Tunnel No. 4 with a length of 947.90 m have all had their drilling and spraying concrete work finished.
Following the order of the head of state, the Toghanali-Kalbajar-Istisu highway is being developed in technical grades I, II, and III, with 2, 3, and 4 lanes. Taking into account the project area's hard mountainous and rocky terrain, the main part of the road is scheduled to be built to the II technical grade, which means that the road section will have two lanes with an additional lane on the slopes. The construction of four traffic lanes of the first technical grade is proposed for the section adjacent to the Murovdag tunnel. The project's road portion has a width of 7.5-14 m.
Project research, geology, and soil work are currently being carried out in certain parts of the project. So, in accordance with the construction norms and requirements, the foundation materials are provided, the foundation is shaped with a heavy roller, and earth tubs are laid to protect the soil bed from surface water. The road is being enlarged and contoured with innovative procedures, and a new dirt bed 10-21.5 meters wide is being built.
To ensure water flow on the highway, the project will include the installation of 159 circular pipes, 113 rectangular pipes, and 17 U-shaped and rectangular culverts, as well as the construction of a 5363-meter-long retaining wall and a 36,346-meter stone wall. For the mentioned works, the construction of 39 circular and 40 rectangular pipes, 9 U-type and rectangular culverts, 5590 m of stone wall, and 2871 m of retaining wall has already been completed.
It should be mentioned that the building work is being carried out in compliance with the "Construction Norms and Rules" under the supervision of the management of the tate State Agency of Azerbaijan Automobile Roads. The Agency has drawn the appropriate number of forces to the area in order to execute the project on time and according to the planned schedule.
The Toghanali-Kalbajar-Istisu highway begins in the Toghanali village of the Goygol district and passes through the territory of the Kalbajar district, which was liberated from occupation. As a result, it will allow easy access to the district center and the famous Istisu neighborhood, as well as many of the district's residential areas.
