S-3 (Georgia)

S3
საერთაშორისო 3
Mtskheta-Stepantsminda-Larsi Georgian Military Road
Route information
Part of
Length	139 km (86 mi)
Existed	1996–present
Major junctions
South end	Natakhtari (Mtskheta)
Major intersections	Sh151 to Tsilkani Sh65 to Dusheti Sh26 to Tianeti / Shatili
North end	Larsi
Location
Georgia
Municipalities	Mtskheta, Dusheti, Kazbegi
Highway system
Roads in Georgia International Routes National Routes
← ს 2 → ს 4

The S-3 route (Georgian: საერთაშორისო მნიშვნელობის გზა ს-3, Saertashoriso mnishvnelobis gza S-3, road of international importance S-3), also known as Mtskheta-Stepantsminda-Larsi (Georgia–Russia border) or Georgian Military Road, is a 139 kilometers (86 mi) long "road of international importance" within the Georgian road network. The two-lane highway branches off the S-1 near Natakhtari, north of Mtskheta, and runs in a northern direction via skiresort Gudauri and across the Jvari Pass to Stepantsminda and the Georgia–Russia border in the Darial Gorge.

The S-3 highway is part of the European E117 and Asian AH81 routes and is entirely located in the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region. A 23 kilometers (14 mi) bypass of the Jvari Pass, prone to heavy snowfall and disruption of commercial cross-border traffic, has been under construction since 2021, including a 9 kilometers (5.6 mi) long tunnel, the longest in the region. The highway is the only open land route between Georgia (country) and Russia.

Route description

At Ananuri Castle

At Ananuri

The road near Gudauri

Geographically, the highway follows the Aragvi river upstream and crosses the watershed of the Greater Caucasus at the Jvari Pass (2379 m (7805 ft)). From there the highway follows the Terek through the Georgian historical-geographic Khevi area to the Russian border. This part of the road is geographically located in w:Europe. The highway passes through Zhinvali, Ananuri, Pasanauri, skiresort Gudauri and the tourist site Stepantsminda close to the Russian border.

The highway is the only open land route between Russia and Georgia (country). Other highways to Russia via the Georgian breakaway republics, the S-1 through Abkhazia and the S-10 via South Ossetia, are closed for through traffic, serving only traffic between the breakaways and Russia.

Mtskheta - Jvari Pass

The S-3 highway branches off the S-1 highway just north of Tbilisi and initially runs straight north, through the flat Mukhrani lowland. After a few miles, the road gets closed in by the mountains while it follows the Aragvi upstream with a slight incline until Zhinvali, while passing through various villages with many local businesses. Zhinvali is a junction for regional state routes, the Sh26 to Shatili at the Russian border and the Sh27 to Tianeti. The latter branches off the Sh26 just outside of Zhinvali and offers a northern route to the Kakheti region.

Both state routes have been renovated in the 2020s. From Zhinvali the S-3 highway continues along the West arm of its namesake reservoir. From this point the Aragvi river valley turns into a gorge. After Kvesheti, the road starts its climb to the Jvari Pass, via skiresort Gudauri. In just 25 kilometers (16 mi) the road climbs more than 1000 m (3300 ft) in altitude to 2379 m (7805 ft).

Jvari Pass - Darial Gorge

The Jvari Pass is part of the north-south watershed of the Greater Caucasus range which separates the Aragvi and terek river basins. On the north side of the pass the highway gradually descends to Kobi where the new Gudauri Bypass will join the S-3 at an altitude of 1970 m (6460 ft). At Kobi the highway joins the Terek river which runs through the Dariali Gorge to Russia. Via a few small villages the highway reaches Stepantsminda, the (administrative) center of Kazbegi Municipality and the site of the iconic Gergeti Trinity Church, which looms over the road from above. For many overland travellers it is the first stop in Georgia when coming from Russia.

Between Kobi and Stepantsminda the Terek river valley is relatively wide, but north from Stepantsminda the mountains close in culminating in the Dariali Gorge near the Georgian-Russian border. Here a new 2 kilometers (1.2 mi) long tunnel has been built in 2018 to protect the road against landslides and avalanches. At other places avalanche galleries have been constructed as well. The Georgian Kazbegi border checkpoint is located at an altitude of 1260 m (4130 ft) above sea level close to the actual border while the Russian Verkhniy Lars checkpoint is 3 kilometers (1.9 mi) further downstream the Terek River due to the geography. The road continues as A161 to Vladikavkaz, the capital of the Russian federal republic North Ossetia–Alania.

History

The route of the S-3 follows the historic Georgian Military Road which goes back many centuries. For a long time it was the only suitable route to pass the central section of the Caucasus mountains, while the deep Darial Gorge at the current Georgia–Russia border acted as a natural gate in historic times for anyone who wanted to pass the mountains, especially from the north. The route was also used by the Russian military to expand its control into Transcaucasia after the Kingdom of Georgia became a protectorate of the Russian Empire in 1783.

Road number

Since 1960 the current S-3 was one of 37 listed routes in the Soviet Union, as main highway 16 between Beslan and Yerevan via Tbilisi. In the early 1980s the Soviet road numbering system was overhauled and the Georgian Military Road became part of the A-301 between Beslan and Tbilisi (Natakhtari junction with M-27, the current S-1).

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-3 Mtskheta-Stepantsminda-Larsi (Georgia–Russia border)" replaced the A301 designation. with an additional 18 kilometers (11 mi) from Akhaltsikhe to the Turkish border.

Trunk route Armenia - Russia

The S-3 is the only direct road between centrally controlled Georgia and Russia, and is a crucial overland trunk route between Armenia and Russia as well. Between 2006 and 2010 the Larsi border crossing at the northern terminus of the S3 was closed by Russia in response to policies of the Saakashvili administration at the time. Overland traffic between Georgia and Russia was not possible at all affecting Armenia greatly, which relies on trade with Russia. At the instigation of Armenia the border crossing reopened in March 2010.

The upper parts of the highway in the Caucasus Mountains are prone to landslides and heavy snow, which leads to frequent road closures and long (truck) queues. This resulted in initiatives by Armenia and Russia to push Georgia to facilitate other overland routes via its breakaways South Ossetia (Roki Tunnel) and Abkhazia to spread traffic and the liability to delays. Georgia was not keen on this. Instead, Georgia upgraded the most sensitive parts of the Georgian Military Road. Near the Russian border a new 2 kilometers (1.2 mi) tunnel was built to address the impact of landslides. This was spurred after two massive landslides in 2014 which killed 7 people, heavily damaging the Georgian border checkpoint and blocking traffic for nearly two months in total.

Future

The bypass of Gudauri

The entire highway is built as a two-lane road. To increase capacity, designs have been developed to construct a 27 kilometers (17 mi) grade-separated 2x2 motorway between Natakhtari and Zhinvali, as a northern extension of the S-9 Tbilisi Bypass parallel to the current S-3 on the opposite bank of the Aragvi river. The feasibility and design studies have been financed by the Asian Development Bank and were finalized in 2020.

Gudauri tunnel bypass

Line of trucks along the route.

In 2021, as part of the 'North-South Corridor' project upgrading the Armenia - Russia route, the construction started of a 23 kilometers (14 mi) long bypass of skiresort Gudauri between Kvesheti and Kobi. The bypass intends to avoid not only the skiresort, bit also the 2,379 meters (7,805 ft) high Jvari Pass, which is prone to heavy snowfall and disruption for commercial cross-border traffic. It will be routed through the Khada Valley and will consist of a two-lane road plus a separate uphill lane for heavy traffic (2+1) and a 9.06 kilometers (5.63 mi) tunnel through the Sadzele mountain, the longest in the Caucasus region. The cost of the project is $558.6 million and has been financed by the Asian Development Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), with additional state budget funding from the Georgian government.

Kvesheti is located at an altitude of 1,380 meters (4,530 ft) while Kobi is at 1,970 meters (6,460 ft), which will then become the highest point in the road. The vertical difference of 600 meters (2,000 ft) will mainly be overcome at Kvesheti and in the Khada valley. The south portal of the tunnel will be located at approximately 1,800 meters (5,900 ft) above sea level, while the north portal at Kobi will be at approximately 1,970 meters (6,460 ft). The passage through the mountain reduces a major climb and descend of 400 meters (1,300 ft) from the route. Apart from the long tunnel, the bypass will feature 4 smaller tunnels and 6 bridges, including a 426 meters (1,398 ft) landmark arch bridge with a height of 176 meters (577 ft), spanning the Khada Valley and Khadistskali river.

The tunnel drilling started in 2021 with a Tunnel boring machine from China. With a diameter of more than 15 meters (49 ft) and a length of 182 meters (597 ft), the machine is said to be the largest of its kind in the world. In April 2024 the tunnel was completely drilled.

Lot	Section	Length	Funding	Contractor	Start Construction	Finished / Opened	Remarks
1	Kobi - Tskere	10 km	$415m ADB $060m EBRD $084m State budget	China Railway Tunnel Group Co (CRTG)	2021		including 9 kilometer tunnel
2	Tskere - Kvesheti	12.7 km		China Railway 23rd Bureau Group CO. Ltd (CRCC)	2021		section through Khada Valley, including 4 tunnels (2.5 km) and 6 bridges (1.5 km)
1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Under construction

Intersections

Jvari Pass

North terminus S-3: Zemo Larsi border checkpoint in Dariali Gorge

The entire route is in Mtskheta-Mtianeti region and overlaps with E117 and AH81. The AH81 has its western terminus at the Georgian-Russian border 

Municipality	km	mi		Destinations	Route	Notes
Mtskheta	0	0.0		Tbilisi / Tsiteli Khidi (Red Bridge) Gori / Sokhumi		Highway to via Zugdidi and Sokhumi
	3	1.9		Dzalisi
Dusheti	16	9.9		Sashaburo
	20	12		Dusheti
	25	16		Bichnigauri
	26	16		Tianeti / Shatili
	37	23	Crosses Arkala River (Ananuri Bridge 240 m)
			Ananuri Castle on right side next to Ananuri Bridge and S3 highway
	56	35	Bibiliani Bridge 85 m
	80	50	Crosses (Mtiuleti) Aragvi River (155 m)
Kazbegi	98	61	Russia–Georgia Friendship Monument
	100	62	Jvari Pass (2379 m (7805 ft))
	107	66	Crosses Baidara River
	108	67	Crosses Baidara River
	109	68	Crosses Narvani River
	121	75		Sno / Juta
	126	78	Crosses Terek River
	127	79		Gergeti Trinity Church
	130	81	Tunnel (750 m)
	134	83	Crosses Terek River (90 m)
	135	84	Tunnel (1700 m)
	137	85	Kazbegi Georgian border checkpoint
	138	86	Georgia–Russia border
	141	88	Verkhny Lars Russian border checkpoint. Road continues as to Vladikavkaz
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

External links

• Media related to S-3 (Georgia) at Wikimedia Commons