S-4 (Georgia)

S4
საერთაშორისო 4 (Georgian)
Tbilisi–Red Bridge
Route information
Part of
Length	57 km (35 mi)
Existed	1996–present
Major junctions
North end	Tbilisi ()
Major intersections	to Sadakhlo () () Rustavi Sh163 to Algeti / Marneuli Sh161 to Shulaveri
South end	Red Bridge (Azerbaijan border) ()
Location
Georgia
Municipalities	Tbilisi, Gardabani, Rustavi, Marneuli
Highway system
Roads in Georgia International Routes National Routes
← ს 3 → ს 5

The S-4 route (Georgian: საერთაშორისო მნიშვნელობის გზა ს-4, Saertashoriso mnishvnelobis gza S-4, road of international importance S-4), also known as Tbilisi–Red Bridge (Azerbaijan border) or Rustavi Highway, is a 57 kilometers (35 mi) long "road of international importance" within the Georgian road network. The highway runs from Tbilisi via Rustavi city to the Georgian-Azerbaijan border at the Red Bridge.

Most of the S-4 highway is part of the European E60 and Asian AH5, between the S-9 Tbilisi Bypass and Red Bridge. The Tbilisi section of the highway, until the junction with the S-6, is part of the European E117, while the section between the junctions with the S-6 and S-9 is part of the Asian AH81. Furthermore, while starting in the Tbilisi capital region, the road is mostly located in the southern Kvemo Kartli region. After the Georgian-Azerbaijan border the highway continues as M2 to Ganja and Baku.

Route description

North terminus S4 in Tbilisi

Between Rustavi and Tbilisi

Rustavi to Red Bridge

The reference point for the mileage of roads leaving Tbilisi, such as the S-4 highway, is Freedom Square, according to the Georgian "Law on motor roads". But that does not mean Freedom Square is the actual starting point of the highway. In the case of the S-4 the actual starting point is Dimitry Gulia street near the Ortachala Hydropower Plant, about 3 kilometers (1.9 mi) from Freedom Square.

The speed limit on the motorway section is 90 km/h (56 mph) while it is 70 km/h (43 mph) on the two-lane highway section, with the exception of passage through towns and villages (60 km/h (37 mph), may vary locally) and within Tbilisi city.

Tbilisi - Rustavi

The road begins as a six-lane city thoroughfare South of the centre of Tbilisi. Once the Mtkvari/Kura river bank is reached the S-4 becomes a 2x3 lane city express road with a speed limit of 70 km/h (43 mph). At the entrance of the Ponichala district of Tbilisi, the S-6 highway to Marneuli and Yerevan branches off. A new grade separated bypass for Ponichala is under construction, but till then traffic goes through the densely populated district as a two-lane road.

From the southside of Ponichala the S4 is a grade-separated 2x2 motorway until the city of Rustavi, which is at this point just 9 kilometers (5.6 mi) away. Just before Rustavi the S-9 Tbilisi Bypass joins the S-4. After the Rustavi exit the highway becomes a two-lane highway and remains that way until its terminus at the Azerbaijan border.

Rustavi - Red Bridge

At the south side of Rustavi the highway climbs the plateau rising above the city. The future S-4 motorway route will shortcut the curves here bypassing the highest point in the current route. The S-4 continues from here in a straight southeasterly course to the border with Azerbaijan, through an arid-steppe landscape. The border crossing is named "Red Bridge" (Tsiteli Khidi in Georgian) after the old red-brick bridge arch bridge across the Khrami River between the Georgian and Azerbaijani border posts.

History

The S4 is part of the most popular route to travel between Tbilisi and Baku, and on both sides of the border the roads are being or going to be upgraded to motorway standards. From the early 1980s to 1996 the current S-4 route was entirely part of the M27 Soviet highway route that ran from Novorossiysk via Tbilisi to Baku. 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 Georgian section of the M27 was cut in different highways. The section from Tbilisi to Red Bridge was renumbered as "S-4 Tbilisi–Red Bridge (Azerbaijan border)" replaced the M27 designation.

Future

Redesign S4 and S7 highways

The S-4 has been included in the Georgian East-West Highway project, which aims to create a 455 kilometers (283 mi) East-West transport corridor through Georgia connecting Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey. Within this project various sections of Georgian highways have been upgraded to motorway to strengthen Georgia's position as South Caucasus transport hub.

Within the scope of the 'East-West Highway', the redesign of the southern part of the S4 highway has been on the agenda for a number of years. In 2021 the European Investment Bank provided an additional €106.7 million to Georgia. These additional funds have been assigned for the upgrade of the S-4 and S-7 highways.

The S-4 will be realigned and constructed as a grade-separated 2x2 motorway between Rustavi and the Red Bridge border crossing with Azerbaijan. Halfway this section, near Didi Mughanlo, a new 2x2 motorway will be constructed in southwestern direction towards the current S-7 at Kvemo Sarali village. It is unknown when construction of this upgrade will commence.

Intersections

Region	Municipality	km	mi		Destinations	Route	Notes
City of Tbilisi		3	1.9			E 117	North end E117 overlap
		6	3.7
		9	5.6		Marneuli / Yerevan ()	ს 6 ( E 117 / AH 81)	South end E117 overlap, North end AH81 overlap
		12	7.5				Motorway section (2x2)
		13	8.1	Tbilisi city limits
Kvemo Kartli	Gardabani	13.2	8.2
		17	11
	Rustavi	19	12		Poti / Batumi	ს 9 ( E 60 / AH 5 / AH 81)	South end AH81 overlap, North end E60 and AH5 overlap
		21	13		Rustavi
		21.5	13.4				Continues south as two lane highway.
	Marneuli	50	31	Crosses Algeti River (95m)
		51	32		Meore Kesalo	შ 164
		57	35	Crosses Khrami River
					Sadakhlo / Armenia	შ 161
				Red Bridge border checkpoint. Road continues as M2 to Baku ( E 60 / AH 5). South end E60/AH5 overlap
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus

External links

• Media related to S-4 (Georgia) at Wikimedia Commons