S-8 (Georgia)

S8
საერთაშორისო 8
Khashuri-Akhaltsikhe-Vale
Route information
Part of
Length	97 km (60 mi)
Major junctions
North end	Khashuri
Major intersections	Sh20 to Bakuriani Sh127 to Sadgeri / Tba S11 ( ) to Sh1 to Adigeni and Batumi
South end	Turkish border (Vale)
Location
Georgia
Municipalities	Khashuri, Borjomi, Akhaltsikhe, Adigeni
Highway system
Roads in Georgia International Routes National Routes
← ს 7 → ს 9

The S-8 route (Georgian: საერთაშორისო მნიშვნელობის გზა ს-8, Saertashoriso mnishvnelobis gza S-8, road of international importance S-8), also known as Khashuri–Akhaltsikhe-Vale (border of the Republic of Turkey), is a 97 kilometers (60 mi) long "road of international importance" within the Georgian road network. The highway branches off the S-1 near Khashuri and runs in a Southwestern direction via Borjomi and Akhaltsikhe to the border with Turkey near Vale.

The S-8 is a two lane road and is part of the European route E691 between Akhaltsikhe and the Turkish border, and is part of the Asian Highway AH82 between Khashuri and Akhaltsikhe. It connects with the Georgian S-11 highway in Akhaltsikhe. The road is mostly located in the Samtskhe–Javakheti region, while its Khashuri segment is located in the Shida Kartli region. The S-8 highway route follows the Kura river through its gorge until Akhaltsikhe and reaches a maximum altitude of 1230 meters (4040 ft) above sea level at the Georgia–Turkey border.

Route description

Georgian highway S-8 starts in Khashuri

S-8 between Dviri and Atskuri in Kura river gorge

Direction sign in Akhaltsikhe

S-8 through Akhaltsikhe

S-8 through Vale

The Samtskhe-Javakheti region, through which the S-8 highway mostly runs, is part of the Armenian Highlands, which defines the geography of the area. The highway follows the Kura river gorge upstream to Akhaltsikhe and gradually climbs from 700 meters (2300 ft) above sea level in Khashuri to 1230 meters (4040 ft) at the Georgia–Turkey border. In a 10 kilometers (6.2 mi) radius around the highway the mountains reach to 2500 meters (8200 ft) above sea level.

Khashuri - Borjomi

The S-8 highway starts at the main roundabout in the center of Khashuri, formerly the junction of the S-1 and S-8 highways. Khashuri is known among passers-by for its hammocks sold along the through road in town. At Kviskheti village the S-8 enters Samtskhe-Javakheti region and the gorge of the Kura river, leaving behind the plain around Khashuri. The curvy road passes through a handful of villages and reaches Georgia's prime tourist destination Borjomi after 26 kilometers (16 mi). In Borjomi the 82 kilometers (51 mi) long Sh20 state route leads to Bakuriani skiresort and continues to Akhalkalaki via the 2,454 meters (8,051 ft) high Tskhratskaro Pass in the Ktsia-Tabatskuri Managed Reserve.

Borjomi - Akhaltsikhe

After passing through Borjomi the S-8 continues to Akhaltsikhe, the next main town, 49 kilometers (30 mi) ahead through the Kura river gorge. Shortly before reaching Akhaltsikhe the highway and Kura river separate while the river gorge widens to a valley. In Akhaltsikhe the S-8 intersects with the northern terminus of the S-11 highway while prominent direction signs for the Turkish and Armenian border indicate the international dimension of both highways. This is also the point of concurrence with the E691 route, which connects Turkey and Armenia through Georgia via the S-8 and S-11 highways.

Akhaltsikhe - Turkey

The highway then passes through the central area of the Akhaltsikhe, along the (defunct) railway station and the access road to the local tourist attraction, the Rabati Castle. A few kilometers West of Akhaltsikhe the East terminus of the Sh1 state route to Batumi junctions with the S-8. For the remaining 15 kilometers (9.3 mi) the highway climbs to the Turkish border via Vale town. After the border the highway continues as D955 to Ardahan.

History

From the early 1980s to 1996 the current S-8 route between Khashuri and Akhaltsikhe was referred to as A308 within the Soviet road network. The A308 connected the M27 Soviet highway (now Georgian S1 highway) in Khashuri with the A306 in Akhaltsikhe which ran between Batumi and Gyumri (Armenia). The latter included a 3 kilometers (1.9 mi) section West of Akhaltsikhe that is nowadays part of the S-8. The remainder of the current S-8 between the junction to Batumi and the Turkish border was unnumbered. Prior to the 1980s the route was unnumbered as was the case with most Soviet roads.

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-8 Khashuri - Akhaltsikhe - Vale (border of the Republic of Turkey)" replaced the A308 designation with an additional 18 kilometers (11 mi) from Akhaltsikhe to the Turkish border. This included a 3 kilometers (1.9 mi) section that was formerly part of the A306 route.

Trunk route to Turkey

The S-8 is an important route for traffic to the Samtskhe–Javakheti region and tourist destinations Borjomi and Bakuriani. Prior to the opening of the Kartsakhi Georgia–Turkey border crossing via the S-13 highway the Vale border crossing played an important role in transit traffic between Turkey and Armenia. Yet, the S-8 still plays an important role for through traffic between Georgia and (East-)Turkey. While the Sh1 state highway to Batumi offers a southern connection from the S-8 at Akhaltsikhe to the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, the dilapidated state of that road in the highlands west of Adigeni reduces its practical use.

Khashuri

Until 2020 the S-1 and S-8 highways connected directly in the center of Khashuri. In the summer of 2020 the Khashuri Bypass in the S-1 highway opened, which means the S1 bypasses Khashuri between the Agarebi intersection and Surami. The old S-1 section from Agarebi into Khashuri and Surami received the Sh203 number in 2022, an extension road between Kareli and Agarebi - also formerly the S-1.

Future

As of 2024 there are no plans to upgrade the S8 highway to higher standards, nor are there any plans to bypass Khashuri between the S-1 and S-8 highways. For the foreseeable future transit traffic will continue to pass through Khashuri town.

Intersections

Region	Municipality	km	mi		Destinations	Route	Notes
Shida Kartli	Khashuri	0	0.0		Poti / Batumi Tbilisi / Tsiteli Khidi (Red Bridge)		North end AH82 concurrency
		1	0.62	Khashuri city limits
Samtskhe–Javakheti	Borjomi	24	15	Borjomi city limits
		26	16		Bakuriani
		28	17		Sadgeri / Tba / Tsemi
		34	21	Borjomi city limits
	Akhaltsikhe	56	35	Atskuri Fortress
		60	37	Crosses Khashuri-Borjomi-Akhaltsikhe railway line
		71	44	Crosses Khashuri-Borjomi-Akhaltsikhe railway line
		73	45	Akhaltsikhe city limits
		76	47		Ninotsminda / Armenia	()	South end AH82, North end E691 concurrence
		77	48			Rabati Castle
		79	49	Akhaltsikhe city limits
		80	50		Adigeni / Batumi		via Goderdzi Pass (2027 meters (6650 ft))
				Crosses Potskhovi River (70 m)
		92	57	Crosses Potskhovi River (70 m)
	Adigeni	96	60	Turkish border checkpoint. Road continues as to Ardahan. South end E691 concurrence.
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus

External links

• Media related to S-8 (Georgia) at Wikimedia Commons