S-11 (Georgia)

S11
საერთაშორისო 11 (Georgian)
Akhaltsikhe-Ninotsminda
Route information
Part of
Length	112 km (70 mi)
Major junctions
North end	Akhaltsikhe
Major intersections	S8 ( ) (Borjomi / ) Sh58 (Vardzia) Sh20 (Bakuriani / Borjomi) S13 (Kartsakhi / ) Sh21 (bypass road) Sh31 (Tsalka)
South end	Sadakhlo, Armenian border
Location
Georgia
Municipalities	Akhaltsikhe, Aspindza, Akhalkalaki, Ninotsminda
Major cities	Akhaltsikhe
Highway system
Roads in Georgia International Routes National Routes
← ს 10 → ს 12

The S11 route (Georgian: საერთაშორისო მნიშვნელობის გზა ს11, Saertashoriso mnishvnelobis gza S11, road of international importance S12), also known as Akhaltsikhe - Ninotsminda (Armenian border), is a 112 kilometers (70 mi) long "road of international importance" within the Georgian road network. The highway branches off the S8 near Akhaltsikhe and runs in Southeastern direction via Akhalkalaki to the border with Armenia near Ninotsminda, the so-called Bavra-Ninotsminda border checkpoint.

The S11 is part of the European E691 and Asian AH82 routes and connects with two other Georgian S-highways. The road is entirely located in the Samtskhe–Javakheti region, which is geographically an extension of the Armenian Highlands, and reaches a maximum altitude of 2,150 meters (7,050 ft) above sea level without passing any mountain passes. The high altitude plains between Akhalkalaki and the Armenian border have a harsh winter climate, leading to frequent road closures due to high snow.

Route description

North terminus S11 (left) in Akhaltsikhe

S11 follows Paravani / Kura river gorges

Junction with Sh31 in wintery Ninotsminda

Samtskhe-Javakheti highlands near Epromovka

Georgian-Armenian border crossing, South terminus

The Samtskhe-Javakheti region, through which the S11 runs, is geographically part of the Armenian Highlands. Akhaltsikhe, home to the historic Rabati Castle and starting point of the S11, is located at elevation of 960 meters (3,150 ft) above sea level, the lowest point of the route. The route starts in the eastern edge of the town at the junction with the S8 on the left bank of the Potskhovi River. From here the highway immediately crosses the river and heads in Southeastern direction through the outskirts of Akhaltsikhe and joins the Kura south from Chacharaki village.

Shortly after, at Minadze, the road passes to the right bank of the Kura river where it remains for 39 kilometers (24 mi) until Khertvisi. The road follows the river gorge upstream, climbing gradually, passing a few settlements along the way. At 30 kilometers (19 mi) the road passes through the small town of Aspindza, a municipal center, after which the gorge narrows providing rocky scenery.

The first main point of interest is reached at 44 kilometers (27 mi), at the confluence of the Kura and Paravani rivers. The 10-11th century Khertvisi Fortress stands on a rocky hill above the confluence. While the oldest part of the current construction dates from the high Middle Ages, the site is among the oldest Georgian fortifications. At the confluence is also the junction with the Sh58 road to Vardzia, 16 kilometers (9.9 mi) upstream the Kura river. Vardzia is a historic cave monastery site in the rocks above the Kura and a prime tourist destination in Georgia.

From Khertvisi the S11 continues its way upstream along the Paravani river to Akhalkalaki, 23 kilometers (14 mi) ahead. The gorge narrows and the road climbs from 1,150 meters (3,770 ft) to 1,650 meters (5,410 ft) at the entrance of Akhalkalaki. The road then winds up the plateau on which Akhalkalaki is situated. Just before turning into the centre of town, the S13 to the Turkish border at Kartsakhi branches off. The S11 then passes through the main street of Akhalkalaki, and makes its way out via its southern outskirts, the villages of Martuni and Khospio.

Halfway between Akhalkalaki and Ninotsminda the highway meets the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway line and the large switchyard for the break of gauge bogie exchange. The S11 passes alongside the railway site and the railway station. Upon entering Ninotsminda the railway line and highway separate again. In the centre of Ninotsminda there is one of the few noteworthy junctions in the S11, the Sh31 national route leading to Tbilisi via Tsalka.

Leaving Ninotsminda, the highway gradually climbs to its highest point of 2,150 meters (7,050 ft) at the Georgia–Armenia border, Georgia's highest border crossing. This is also the highest point of the Armenian M1 highway, which is the continuation of the road to Gyumri, Armenia's second largest city.

History

Within the Soviet road network classification introduced in the early 1980s, the route of the current S11 was numbered A306, a Soviet national route which ran from Batumi via Akhaltsikhe and Ninotsminda to Gyumri (Armenia). Prior to the 1980s, the road did not have a number, as was the case with most Soviet main roads.

In 1996 the current Georgian classification system was adopted and the "roads of international importance" was introduced as its highest class with the letter S. Georgian section of the A306 between Akhaltsikhe and the Armenian border was renumbered as "S11 Akhaltsikhe - Ninotsminda (Armenian border)". The former A306 between Batumi and Akhaltsikhe was renumbered as Sh1 ("road of national importance", a lower class).

The S11 is an important transit route for traffic from Armenia to Turkey and vice versa, since the landborder between both countries is closed. In earlier years most traffic would have traveled via Vale at the Georgia–Turkey border, the terminus of the S8 which the S11 joins in Akhaltsikhe. Since 2015 a shorter route is available via the S13 from Akhalkalaki. Also, Georgia's Armenian community primarily lives in the Samtskhe–Javakheti region, especially in the municipalities of Akhalkalaki and Ninotsminda and the S11 plays an important role for the local population to connect with Armenia.

Future

There are no plans to upgrade the S11 to higher standards (2024). Most noteworthy is the rehabilitation in 2019 of the section between Ninotsminda and the border with Armenia, which was previously in a notoriously bad shape.

Intersections

The route is located in the Samtskhe–Javakheti region and overlaps entirely with the E691 and AH82 routes. 

Municipality	km	mi		Destinations	Route	Notes
Akhaltsikhe	0	0.0		Borjomi / Tbilisi Vale / Ardahan ()	() ()	Highway to Turkish border
			Crosses Potskhovi River (90 m)
	2	1.2	Akhaltsikhe city limits
	5	3.1	Crosses Kura (Mtkvari) River (130 m)
Aspindza	44	27		Vardzia
Akhalkalaki	68	42		Bakuriani
			Crosses Paravani River (130 m)
	69	43	Akhalkalaki town limits
				Kartsakhi		Highway to Turkish border
	73	45		Border		Akhalkalaki Bypass
			Akhalkalaki town limits
Ninotsminda	87	54	Ninotsminda town limits
	90	56			Tsalka
	91	57	Ninotsminda town limits
	112	70	Armenian border checkpoint. Road continues as ) to Gyumri
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

External links

• Media related to S-11 (Georgia) at Wikimedia Commons