S-2 (Georgia)

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S2

საერთაშორისო 2 (Georgian)
Senaki-Poti-Sarpi
Route information
Part of Tabliczka E60.svg Tabliczka E70.svg Tabliczka E97.svg Tabliczka AH5.svg
Length119 km[1] (74 mi)
Existed1996–present
Major junctions
North endSenaki
Major intersectionsS1-GE.svg S-1 (Tabliczka E60.svgTabliczka E97.svgTabliczka AH82.svgTabliczka AH5.svg)
       to Tbilisi / Zugdidi

S12-GE.svg S-12 (Tabliczka E692.svg) to Samtredia
SH2-GE.svg Sh2 to Ozurgeti
SH205-GE.svg Sh205 to Chakvi

SH1-GE.svg Sh1 to Akhaltsikhe
South endSarpi TurkeyD-010.png
Location
Georgia
MunicipalitiesSenaki, Khobi, Poti, Lanchkhuti, Ozurgeti, Kobuleti, Batumi, Khelvachauri
Major citiesSenaki, Poti, Kobuleti, Batumi
Highway system
  • Roads in Georgia
← ს 1→ ს 3

The S-2 route (Georgian: საერთაშორისო მნიშვნელობის გზა ს-2, Saertashoriso mnishvnelobis gza S-2, road of international importance S-2), also known as Senaki-Poti-Sarpi (Turkish border), is a 119 kilometers (74 mi) long "road of international importance" within the Georgian road network.[1] The highway branches off the S-1 West of Senaki and runs via Poti, Kobuleti and Batumi to the border with Turkey near Sarpi.

The S-2 highway is part of European E60, E70, E97 and Asian AH5 routes and is mostly built as a two-lane highway through villages, towns and cities. Part of the highway has been upgraded to a two-lane expressway with hard shoulders and grade separation.

Route description

Intersection with S-12 at Grigoleti
Kobuleti bypass near Shuagele

About 5 kilometers (3.1 mi) West of Senaki the S-2 highway branches off the S-1 highway and heads west to the Black Sea port of Poti, after which the route turns south along the Black Sea coast to the resort and port city of Batumi. The highway reaches its southern terminus in Sarpi at the Georgia–Turkey border. After crossing the Georgian-Turkish border the highway continues as D.010 ("Black Sea Coastal Road") to Trabzon.

Senaki — Poti

Between Senaki and Poti the road passes through a few villages and runs along the Senaki-Poti railway line through the Rioni river delta. Upon entering Poti it crosses the Rioni river via the Hydropower Dam. At the north side of the city the highway turns south at which corner the European E70 route has its eastern terminus. The highway circumvents the city centre, and after crossing the Rioni canal the European E60 route separates from the highway and turns to the port of Poti. The Poti seaport is an important point of the Trans-Caucasian Corridor/TRACECA, a multinational project which connects the Romanian port of Constanţa and Bulgarian port Varna with the landlocked countries of the Caspian region and Central Asia. The E60 continues on the other side of the Black Sea, in the Romanian city of Constanţa.

Poti — Kobuleti

The S-2 highway leaves Poti city in southern direction via the narrow strip of land that separates Lake Paliastomi from the Black Sea. At Grigoleti the road junctions with the S-12 highway which is the main route to Samtredia and Tbilisi. Passing the Supsa river, the two lane highway meets the hills of Guria but remains in the lowlands. After the upgrade of the S-12 to 2x2 lane motorway the connection with the S-2 will be moved to the south side of the Supsa river. The S-12 will flow seamlessly into the S-2 in southern direction. South of the Supsa river the S-2 continues to Kobuleti as a grade-separated 2x2 motorway until the Kobuleti Bypass at Shekvetili. The Kobuleti Bypass extends South for 30 kilometers (19 mi) until the northern area of Batumi near its famous Botanical Garden. The bypass has been constructed in the period 2014-2018 as two-lane expressway with a speed limit of 90 km/h (55 mph).

Kobuleti — Batumi — Sarpi

After passing the Kobuleti resort, the bypass enters the Adjara mountains and follows a curvy route with many bridges and a few tunnels. At Chakvi the highway passes through the dual tube 4-lane Chakvi-Makhinjauri tunnel which opened in 2005 and relieved traffic from a very curvy passage across the hills.[2] At the south side of the Chakvi-Makhinjauri tunnel the Batumi Bypass will begin upon its completion by 2024, as two-lane expressway. In the meantime the highway reaches the Black Sea coast and enters Batumi, Georgia's second largest city. After passing the port the road turns into the city centre. At the south side of the centre the road turns towards the airport which it circumvents to reach the Black Sea coast again south of the Chorokhi river. During the last kilometers to the Turkish border the mountains leave little room for the road and communities. The border checkpoints have little room as well, and the ever increasing truck traffic leads to long queues along the coast.

History

Soviet road [19] near Chakvi (1970s)

Since a 1960 decree, the Kobuleti-Batumi section of the current S-2 was part of the Soviet main highway 19, one of only 37 listed routes in the Soviet Union which ran between Novorossiysk and Batumi, via Samtredia and Ozurgeti.[3] The Samtredia-Ozurgeti-Kobuleti part of this route '19' followed the current Sh2 route. In 1982 the Soviet road numbering system was overhauled and the foundation of the current S-2 was laid: the A-305 number was designated to Mikha Tskhakaya (Senaki) - Batumi via Poti.[4]

In 1996 the current Georgian classification system was adopted and the S-category "roads of international importance" was introduced as its highest class. The "S-2 Senaki-Poti-Sarpi (Turkish border)" replaced the A305 designation.[5] In the process, the S-2 route was extended from the north side of Batumi through the city to the Turkish border at Sarpi. Initially the road was registered with a length of 121 kilometers (75 mi), but the opening of the Chakvi-Makhinjauri tunnel north of Batumi reduced the length reduced to 119 kilometers (74 mi).[6]

The S-2 highway was originally built as a simple two-lane highway, but parts have been upgraded to higher standards within the scope of the 2005 initiated East-West Highway project. In a separate project, the dual tube four lane 650 m (2130 ft) Chakvi-Makhinjauri tunnel, which bypasses a curvy section of the highway, was the first upgrade to the S-2 highway in independent Georgia. The construction of the tunnel initially started in 2001, but came to a halt in April 2004 due to Adjara crisis in that period. The crisis resulted in the central government of Georgia regaining authority over the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, the location of the tunnel. In spring 2005 works resumed,[7] which were finished by September of that year.[2]

East-West Highway

The S-2 route is under major redesign since 2011
Batumi Bypass under construction (2018-)

In 2005 the Georgian government initiated the East-West Highway project, an ambitious internationally sponsored long term project which aimed to create a 455 kilometers (283 mi) East-West transport corridor through Georgia, connecting Azerbaijan and Armenia with Turkey, by upgrading Georgian sections of the European E60 and E70 highways to strengthen Georgia's position as South Caucasus transport hub.[8]

The focus of the project has been to upgrade the central S-1 highway to a grade-separated 2x2 motorway. However, the 73 kilometers (45 mi) coastal Southern section of the S-2 between Grigoleti (S-12) and the Turkish border has been another focus area. As early as 2005, the Georgian government identified and studied the need for bypasses around Kobuleti and Batumi for a better traffic flow in connection with the S-12 (Samtredia — Grigoleti).[9] As result, most of this section has been redesigned inland, bypassing towns and villages. The project envisioned to upgrade the S-2 between Grigoleti and Shekvetili as a direct extension of the S-12 to 2x2 motorway standards, while the Kobuleti and Batumi Bypasses were redesigned as two-lane expressway.

Grigoleti — Shekvetili

The 14 kilometers (8.7 mi) between Grigoleti (junction S-12) and Shekvetili (north end of the Kobuleti Bypass) has been under construction since 2019 as a 2x2 motorway.[10] Completion was delayed,[11] but in December 2022 and December 2023 a total of 11 kilometers (6.8 mi) opened with the remaining 3 kilometers (1.9 mi) to be opened in 2024.[12][13] The connection of the S-2 with the S-12 (under construction as 2x2 motorway) will be moved to the South side of the Supsa river for a seamless flow of the S-2 into the S-12.

Kobuleti Bypass

In 2018 the 30 kilometers (19 mi) long Kobuleti Bypass between Shekvetili and Chakvi has been completed as a two-lane expressway with hard shoulders and grade separation, bypassing the popular Kobuleti resort and other villages, running inland away from the coastline.[14] The old route of the S-2 along the Black Sea coast between Shekvetili and Chakvi via Kobuleti town has been renumbered as Sh205.

Batumi Bypass

Since 2018 the 16 kilometers (9.9 mi) long Batumi Bypass between the Chakvi-Makhinjauri tunnel near Mtsvane Kontskhi and the Chorokhi River has been under construction through mountainous terrain. Similarly to the Kobuleti Bypass, this section is a two-lane expressway, while featuring 19 bridges, 4 interchanges and 5 tunnels. The completion of the bypass was postponed various times.[15][16]

Batumi — Sarpi

The 12 kilometers (7.5 mi) section Batumi (Chorokhi) - Sarpi was under study in 2018 for redesign.[17] Funding up to $200 million for upgrades to this section was secured via the Asian Development Bank .[18] The steep cliffs along the Black Sea coast leaves little room for expansion of the road. Four alternatives were presented in 2023, with a preference for the construction of a 7.6 kilometers (4.7 mi) long tunnel.[19]

Construction and delays

Despite earlier commitments the East-West Highway would be finished by 2020,[20] the construction of crucial sections, including of the S-2 highway, was still ongoing as of 2024. The project has been sponsored by European and Asian development banks, the World Bank, European Union and others, with credits amounting to more than $2 billion for the S-1 upgrades alone (plus additional state funding), while the S-2 upgrades amount to $800 million. Construction companies from various European and Asian countries have been involved, with mixed success. Some contracts ran into technical and legal issues, leading to termination by the Georgian government due to excessive underperformance of the contracted party. This caused delays of many years for various sections.[21][22]

Construction timeline

Overview of the construction of various sections from Grigoleti) to Sarpi.

Segment Lot Length Funding Contractor Start
Construction		 Opened Remarks
Grigoleti to Kobuleti Bypass 14.4 kilometers (8.9 mi) EIB (€101m)[23] Polat Yol (TK) Feb 2019 2x2 lane motorway from S12 to Kobuleti Bypass, 5 kilometers (3.1 mi) opened in Dec. 2022,[13] and another 6 kilometers (3.7 mi) opened in Dec. 2023.[12]
Kobuleti Bypass Lot-1a Shekvetili — Kakucha (Sh2) 12.4 kilometers (7.7 mi) ADB Tranche 1 $119m
+ $30m (State budget)[24]
ADB Tranche 3 $140m
+ $25m (State budget)[25] 		Sinohydro (CN) Mar 2011[26] Oct 2013[27] Kobuleti Bypass built as two-lane expressway
Lot-2 Kakucha (Sh2) - Chakvi 18 kilometers (11 mi) Sinohydro (CN) Sep 2013[28] Jun 2018[29] Section contains 2 tunnels and 15 bridges, among the longest of Georgia of 1180 m.
Lot-1b Road at Chakvi tunnel 1.3 kilometers (0.81 mi) Sinohydro (CN) 2017 June 2018[29] Upgrade 1.3 kilometers (0.81 mi) of existing road to tunnel to four lanes
Chakvi-Makhinjauri tunnel 1 kilometer (0.62 mi) 2001[7] Sep 2005[2] Dual tube four lane tunnel of 650 m (2130 ft)
Batumi Bypass
 Mtsvane Kontskhi — Khelvachauri 16 kilometers (9.9 mi) ADB ($114m)[30]
State budget $87m 		Polat Yol (TK) Apr 2018 [31] Batumi Bypass is built as a two-lane expressway with 19 bridges and 5 tunnels
Batumi - Sarpi 12 kilometers (7.5 mi) ADB ($200m)[18] Proposed. In preparation.
1.000 km = 0.621 mi
  •       Under construction
  •       Planning/Proposed

Other upgrades

A new bridge in the S-2 across the Rioni River near Poti was announced, and construction tenders were published in 2021.[32] The old bridge, a hydropower dam from 1959, is allegedly in bad shape even though the hydropower plant itself has been rehabilitated in 2018.[33] The new bridge will be 500 meters long and will have a single carriageway plus hard shoulders.[34] In November 2021 the Roads Department of the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure announced construction will commence and that the Asian Development Bank finances the project expenses of $20 million.[35]

No other upgrades of the S-2 highway have been scheduled. The Senaki-Poti-Grigoleti section will remain an at-grade two lane highway for the foreseeable future (as of 2024).

Intersections

Between Senaki and Poti
Rioni bridge at Poti
Kobuleti Bypass near Natanebi
Chakvi-Makhinjauri tunnel
Georgian border checkpoint Sarpi

The entire S2 route overlaps with E97 and AH5 routes. The Kobuleti Bypass section of the S2 has many bridges, river crossings and some tunnels. A selection is mentioned. 

RegionMunicipalitykmmi DestinationsRouteNotes
Samegrelo-Zemo SvanetiSenaki00.0Left junctionZugdidi / Sokhumi
Samtredia / Tbilisi		S1-GE.svg  Tabliczka E97.svgTabliczka AH82.svgHighway to Russia via Zugdidi and Sokhumi
S1-GE.svg  Tabliczka E60.svgTabliczka AH5.svgTabliczka AH82.svgEast end E60 overlap
Khobi106.2Right junctionAkhalsopeli / KhobiSH98-GE.svg
1711CrossingKhobiSH48-GE.svg
2616Crosses Rioni River (180 m, municipality border)
Poti2616Poti city limits
2918Right junctionPoti Sea PortSH73-GE.svgvia Khobi Street
Tabliczka E70.svgNorth end E70 overlap (and North terminus E70 route)
3119Crosses Rioni Canal (375 m)
31.519.6CrossingMerab Kostava StreetTabliczka E60.svgWest end E60 overlap (E60 to port via Merab Kostava Street)
4125Poti city limits
GuriaLanchkhuti4629Left junctionSamtredia / TbilisiS12-GE.svg  Tabliczka E692.svg
4729Crosses Supsa River (275 m)
Section km 47-61 construction new expressway between S-12 and Kobuleti Bypass ongoing
5534CrossingOzurgetiSH46-GE.svg
6239Font Awesome 5 solid arrow-down.svg Two-lane expressway (Kobuleti Bypass) Font Awesome 5 solid arrow-down.svg
ExitKobuleti / NatanebiSH80-GE.svg
6339Crosses Natanebi River (190 m)
6540ExitKobuleti / NatanebiSH80-GE.svg
6641Crosses Choloki River (80 m, region boundary)
AdjaraKobuleti7446ExitKobuleti / OzurgetiSH2-GE.svg
7748ExitKhutsubani / KobuletiSouthbound exit and entrance only
7848Crosses Kintrishi River (135m)
7949ExitKvirike / KobuletiNorthbound exit and entrance only
8150Crosses Dekhva River (460 m)
8553Tunnel (300 m)
8855Crosses Chakvistkali and Zkvistskali River (900 m)
9056ExitChakvi
 		SH205-GE.svgOld S2 route prior to Kobuleti Bypass
SH130-GE.svgChakvi-Makhinjauri Tunnel Bypass (old S2 prior to 2005 tunnel opening)
Batumi9157Chakvi-Makhinjauri Tunnel (2x2 lanes) (650 m)
9257Font Awesome 5 solid arrow-up.svg Expressway (Kobuleti Bypass) Font Awesome 5 solid arrow-up.svg
Section km 92-109 construction new Batumi Bypass expressway ongoing
9358Left junctionSH130-GE.svgChakvi-Makhinjauri Tunnel Bypass (old S2 prior to 2005 tunnel opening)
9660Batumi city limits
10565RoundaboutKhulo / Adigeni / AkhaltsikheSH1-GE.svg
10766RoundaboutBatumi Airport
10867Batumi city limits
10968Crosses Chorokhi River (450 m)
Khelvachauri11974Turkey Turkish border checkpoint. Road continues as D010-TR.svgTabliczka E70.svgTabliczka E97.svgTabliczka AH5.svg to Trabzon. South end E70 overlap.

References

  1. ^ a b "2014 List of highways of international and domestic importance" (in Georgian). The Legislative Herald of Georgia. 18 June 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  2. ^ a b c "Mikheil Saakashvili Attends Opening Ceremony of Chakvi-Makhinjauri New Road Tunnel" (in Georgian). Saakashvili Archive. 30 September 2005. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  3. ^ "Resolution of the USSR Council of Ministers of 12/22/1960 N 1303 "On approval of the List of highways of national importance"" (in Russian). USSR Law. 1960-12-22. Archived from the original on 2019-04-04. Retrieved 2021-09-02.
  4. ^ "Decision of the Council of Ministries of the USSR of 08.27.1982 N 800 on approval of the list of roads of the USSR of national significance" (in Russian). USSR Law. 27 August 1982. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  5. ^ "On Approval of Indicators and List for Determination of International, Domestic and Local Roads of Georgia (1996)" (in Georgian). The Legislative Herald of Georgia. 16 December 1996. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  6. ^ "2008 List for Determination of International, Domestic and Local Roads of Georgia" (in Georgian). The Legislative Herald of Georgia. 3 November 2008. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  7. ^ a b "About construction of Chakvi-Makhinjauri section of the Senaki-Poti-Sarpi highway (with tunnels)" (in Georgian). The Legislative Herald of Georgia. 3 March 2005. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  8. ^ "Road Sector of Georgia Overview — Presentation at 10th Eastern partnership transport panel" (PDF). Roads Department of Georgia. 11 May 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  9. ^ "Kobuleti Bypass Road, Kobuleti-Batumi Section and Batumi Bypass Road Project" (in Georgian). Roads Department Georgia. 23 December 2010. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  10. ^ "Contract was signed on construction of Grigoleti-Kobuleti bypass road". Roads Department of Georgia. 3 December 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  11. ^ "Pardon our dust – work in progress to bring Georgian roads up to EU snuff, reduce accidents". Investor.ge. 22 September 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  12. ^ a b "New 6 km section of East-West highway opens in Georgia - Infrastructure Ministry". Agenda.ge. 2023-12-05. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  13. ^ a b აღმოსავლეთ-დასავლეთის მაგისტრალური გზის 15 კმ-იან ახალ მონაკვეთებზე მოძრაობა გაიხსნა [Traffic was opened on new 15 km sections of the East-West highway] (in Georgian). Roads Department of Georgia. 2022-12-10. Retrieved 2022-12-11.
  14. ^ "Kobuleti bypass road is opened". Roads Department of Georgia. 25 June 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  15. ^ "Infrastructure Minister says Batumi bypass road to open this summer". Agenda.ge. 2024-03-12. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  16. ^ ირაკლი ქარსელაძე - ბათუმის შემოვლითი გზის მშენებლობა დასრულების ფაზაში გადავიდა [Irakli Karseladze — Construction of Batumi bypass road has entered the completion phase] (in Georgian). Roads Department of Georgia. 8 May 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  17. ^ "Working on Feasibility Study document for construction of Batumi-Sarpi road is completed". Roads Department of Georgia. 19 October 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  18. ^ a b "Georgia: Batumi-Sarpi Bypass Project". Asian Development Bank. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  19. ^ "Where will the Batumi-Sarfi highway pass through a 7.6 kilometer long tunnel?". Netgazeti Georgia (in Georgian). 2023-09-07. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  20. ^ "Construction of the east-west highway will be completed before 2020". GRASS FactCheck. 23 May 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  21. ^ "Zestaponi-Kutaisi road construction company changed twice, the road is not finished yet" (in Georgian). GRASS FactCheck. 21 November 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  22. ^ "Road projects are stalled. Construction completion deadlines have been violated and delayed for months or years". GRASS FactCheck. 8 January 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  23. ^ "E-70 Grigoleti — Kobuleti Bypass (FL 20160404)". European Investment Bank. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  24. ^ "Georgia: Road Corridor Investment Program — Tranche 1". Asian Development Bank. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  25. ^ "Georgia: Road Corridor Investment Program — Tranche 3 (Additional Financing)". Asian Development Bank. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  26. ^ "Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia Ramaz Nikolaishvili attended the start of construction of the Adjara bypass road" (in Georgian). Roads Department Georgia. 15 March 2011. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  27. ^ "Kobuleti Bypass road has been opened" (in Georgian). Interpress News IPN. 24 October 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  28. ^ "Davit Shavliashvili continues monitoring the ongoing road works" (in Georgian). Roads Department Georgia. 9 September 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  29. ^ a b "Kobuleti bypass road is opened". Roads Department Georgia. 25 June 2018. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  30. ^ "Georgia: Batumi Bypass Road Project". Asian Development Bank. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  31. ^ "When will the Kobuleti bypass road be opened and when will the construction of Batumi road start" (in Georgian). Netgazeti Georgia. 2 March 2018. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  32. ^ "Bidding has been announced for the construction of a new bridge in Poti". Roads Department of Georgia. 2021-05-25. Retrieved 2021-07-11.
  33. ^ "Rehabilitation of the water regulating hydroelectric power plant on the Rio River in Poti has been completed" (in Georgian). Droa. 2018-11-19. Retrieved 2021-10-25.
  34. ^ "Georgia: Batumi Bypass Road Project" (PDF). Asian Development Bank. 2019-09-01. Retrieved 2021-07-11.
  35. ^ "Construction of a new bridge and access road on the Rioni River in Poti is starting". Roads Department of Georgia. 2021-11-30. Retrieved 2022-04-03.

External links

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