S-5 (Georgia)

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S5

საერთაშორისო 5 (Georgian)
Tbilisi-Bakurtsikhe-Lagodekhi
Route information
Length160 km[1] (99 mi)
Existed1996–present
Major junctions
West endTbilisi
Major intersectionsExit Tbilisi Airport

S9-GE.svg (Tabliczka E60.svgTabliczka AH5.svgTabliczka AH81.svg)
SH40-GE.svg Sh40 Sighnaghi
SH42-GE.svg Sh42 Gurjaani / Telavi
SH207-GE.svg Sh207 Telavi
SH39-GE.svg Sh39 Dedoplistskaro

SH43-GE.svg Sh43 Kvareli / Akhmeta
East endAzerbaijan border (Lagodekhi)
AzerbaijanAZ-M5.svg
Location
Georgia
MunicipalitiesTbilisi, Gardabani, Sagarejo, Gurjaani, Sighnaghi, Lagodekhi
Highway system
  • Roads in Georgia

The S-5 route (Georgian: საერთაშორისო მნიშვნელობის გზა ს-5, Saertashoriso mnishvnelobis gza S-5, road of international importance), also known as Tbilisi-Bakurtsikhe-Lagodekhi (Azerbaijan border) or Kakheti Highway, is a 160 kilometers (99 mi) long "road of international importance" within the Georgian road network.[1] The highway runs from Tbilisi via Sagarejo and Bakurtsikhe to the border with Azerbaijan near Lagodekhi.

The road is nicknamed "Kakheti Highway" in reference to its main location, the Kakheti region. The majority of the road is a two-lane highway, while a section has been upgraded to a motorway. After the Georgian-Azerbaijan border the highway continues as M5 to Zagatala and Yevlakh.

Route description

S-5 across the Iori Plateau near Vaziani
S-5 sign in Tbilisi city

The reference point for the mileage of roads leaving Tbilisi, such as the S-5 highway, is Freedom Square according to the Georgian "Law on motor roads".[2] But that does not mean Freedom Square is the actual starting point of the highway. In the case of the S-5 the actual starting point is George W. Bush Street, East of the city centre and about 4 kilometers (2.5 mi) from Freedom Square.

The segment in the capital region until the S9 Tbilisi Bypass intersection, has been built as a six-lane city express road. The subsequent section until beyond Sagarejo is a 2x2 lane motorway, while the remainder is a two-lane highway. In the latter part, the main speed limit is 90 km/h (56 mph), with the exception of passage through towns and villages (60 km/h (37 mph), may vary locally) and within the Tbilisi city. The motorway section between the S-9 Tbilisi Bypass and Sagarejo is 110 km/h (68 mph). The highway doesn't have major differences in altitude: it hovers around 450–600 m (1,480–1,970 ft) above sea level. Its lowest point is 200 m (660 ft) asl in the Alazani Valley and its maximum altitude is 840 m (2,760 ft) asl near Sagarejo.

Tbilisi - Sagarejo

George W. Bush Street, Tbilisi
Winding through Kakheti villages
Terminus of S-5

The Kakheti Highway starts in George W Bush Street the "Kakheti Highway" as a 2x3 lane city express road, with parallel lanes, until the airport exit, just before the Tbilisi Lilo area. In 2020 the section until the Tbilisi Airport has been completely renovated.[3] Through Lilo the road is a 2x2 lane city road. From this point a new 35 kilometers (22 mi) 2x2 motorway section to Sagarejo was opened in October 2024.

Heading East the S5 highway runs through the dry East Georgian lands alongside the "Kakheti railway". The Tbilisi - Gurjaani - Telavi railway line, which opened in 1915, follows more or less the same route and crosses the S-5 a couple of times (grade separated). Sagarejo is the regional centre of this part of Kakheti, and it offers the northern access road to the historic David Gareja monastery complex on the border with Azerbaijan.

Sagarejo - Tsnori

East of Sagarejo, near Tokhliauri, the motorway sections joins the old S-5 again. The highway skirts along the foot of the Gombori mountain range, a range which extends in southeasterly direction from the Caucasus range and separates the Iori and Alazani river valleys. Just before passing over the Gombori Range in its southern tip the state highway Sh40 splits from the S-5, which leads to Signagi, a touristic town situated on top of the ridge providing views over the Alazani Valley. The S-5 meanwhile passes over the lower part of the range at a modest 770 m (2,530 ft) and enters the Alazani Valley at Bakurtsikhe. Here, the S-5 turns right running parallel to the Alazani and the foot of the Gombori Range. To the right Bakurtsikhe runs the main thoroughfare of the northwestern side of the Alazani valley, the Sh42 state route to Gurjaani, Telavi and Akhmeta.

Due to the intensive wine production in this region, the western side of the Alazani Valley is densely populated with a string of villages and towns crammed next to each other along the Sh42 and S-5. Since the summer of 2021 a new bypass was opened between Bakurtsikhe and Gurjaani to improve traffic flow while reducing traffic through the villages. The S-5 between Bakurtsikhe and Tsnori got a similar bypass around the string of villages, which opened in August 2024.

Tsnori - Lagodekhi

From Tsnori the S-5 highway goes northeast across the fertile and green Alazani river valley. The Alazani is the main river in Kakheti and provides the water for the intensive grape and fruit farming in the region. Across the valley the highway passes through a string of villages. At Ninigori the S-5 junctions with the regional thoroughfare along the Northeastern side of the valley, the Sh43, which leads to Akhmeta via Kvareli. At the foot of the Caucasus Range, Lagodekhi is the main town near the border with Azerbaijan. Beyond the border via a narrow bridge across the Matsimis Tskali River the road continues as M-5 through the Zaqatala region, a formerly contested area between the two countries.

History

From the early 1980s to 1996 the current S-5 route was referred to as A302 within the Soviet road network, until the junction west of Lagodekhi. Beyond this point the road was part of the A315 to Zagatala in the Azerbaijan SSR. Prior to the 1980s the route of today's S-5 was unnumbered as was the case with most Soviet roads.[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-5 Tbilisi-Bakurtsikhe-Lagodekhi (Azerbaijan border)" replaced the A302 designation with an additional section from Lagodekhi to the Azerbaijan border that replaced the A315 designation in its Georgian section.[5]

Upgrade to motorway

In 2021 contractors were signed for a new 35 kilometers (22 mi) motorway section of the S-5 highway, between theS-9 Tbilisi Bypass and Sagarejo.[6] The project was divided in three lots and was financed by the state. Chinese and Turkish companies built two lots of 31 kilometers (19 mi) in total, while a Georgian company was responsible for the remainder. As result of the upgrade and redesign, this section bypasses villages and towns. In December 2023 the Vaziani bypass opened,[7] followed by the main section to Sagarajeo / Tokhliauri.[8] An upgrade of the Sagarejo-Badiauri section of 17 kilometers (11 mi), for which the World Bank committed to financing, is planned.[9]

Georgia S5 Route upgrade project.svg
The S-5 "Kakheti highway" will be upgraded to motorway Tbilisi - Sagarejo - Badiauri and a single carriageway bypass Bakurtsikhe - Tsnori.

A 17 kilometers (11 mi) km bypass between Bakurtsikhe and Tsnori was constructed to improve traffic flow in the crowded Alazani valley.[10][11] This section of the S-5 in the Alazani Valley passes through a densely built up area through a string of villages and towns. Similarly, the Gurjaani Bypass was opened north of Bakurtsikhe in 2021.[12]

Upgrades S-5 highway
Lot Section Length Funding Contractor Start construction Opened Remarks
3 Tbilisi Bypass - Vaziani 4.0 km $150m State budget[13] New Road Ltd (GE)[14] April 2022[15][16] 8 Dec 2023[7]
1 Vaziani - Sagarejo[17] 23.8 km China Road and Bridge Corporation (CN)[14] 3 Oct 2024[8]
2 Sagarejo[17] 7.7 km Göçay İnşaat Taahhüt ve Ticaret (TK)[14]
4 Sagarejo - Badiauri 17.0 km €97.7m World Bank Göçay İnşaat Taahhüt ve Ticaret (TK)[18]
Bakurtsikhe - Tsnori 16.6 km $30m Asian Development Bank[19] China Road and Bridge Corporation (CN)[20] Q1 2022[21] 1 Aug 2024[10] Budget part of Batumi Bypass project credit[21]
1.000 km = 0.621 mi
  •       Under construction

Intersections


RegionMunicipalitykmmi DestinationsRouteNotes
City of Tbilisi42.5"Kakheti Highway" (S-5) begins at George W. Bush Street
74.3ExitMoscow Ave / Javakheti Str
95.6ExitVarketili / Tbilisi Sea
116.8ExitChantladze Street
138.1ExitTbilisi Airport
1811Tbilisi city limits
Continues East as two lane highway.
Crosses Lochini River (180m, region boundary))
Kvemo KartliGardabani1912InterchangeBatumi / Poti
Tsiteli Khidi (Red Bridge) / Rustavi		S9-GE.svg  Tabliczka E60.svgTabliczka AH5.svgTabliczka AH81.svg"Tbilisi Bypass"
MotorwayFont Awesome 5 solid arrow-down.svg Motorway section (2x2) Font Awesome 5 solid arrow-down.svg
2012ExitVazianiEastbound exit only
2314ExitVaziani
3421ExitSartichala
3824Crosses Iori River (150 m, region boundary)
KakhetiSagarejo4830ExitSagarejo
5434End of MotorwayFont Awesome 5 solid arrow-up.svg Motorway section (2x2) Font Awesome 5 solid arrow-up.svg
6339Crosses Chailuri River (115 m)
Gurjaani9458CrossingSignagi
Melaani		SH40-GE.svg
 		 
 
10364RoundaboutGurjaani / Telavi / LagodekhiSH42-GE.svg SH207-GE.svg S5-GE.svg
Font Awesome 5 solid arrow-down.svg Bakurtsikhe-Tsnori Bypass (Expressway) Font Awesome 5 solid arrow-down.svg
10565ExitTelaviSH207-GE.svgVia Gurjaani Bypass
Signagi11672ExitVakiri
12175Font Awesome 5 solid arrow-up.svg Bakurtsikhe-Tsnori Bypass (Expressway) Font Awesome 5 solid arrow-up.svg
Right junctionTsnori / DedoplistskaroSH39-GE.svg
13181Crosses Alazani River (115 m, municipality boundary)
Lagodekhi15194CrossingAkhmetaSH43-GE.svg
15697Crosses Shromiskhevi River (75 m)
15898Crosses Lagodekhiskhevi River (115 m)
161100Georgia (country) Lagodekhi border checkpoint.
Crosses Matsimis Tskali River (100 m, Georgia - Azerbaijan border)
Azerbaijan Balakan border checkpoint. Road continues as AZ-M5.svg to Zagatala and Yevlakh
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

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. ^ "Law "About motor roads", consolidated version of 15 July 2020" (in Georgian). The Legislative Herald of Georgia. 15 July 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  3. ^ "Rehabilitation of George Bush Street, Kakheti Highway and the patterns adjacent to the Monument – "The Man and The Sun" has been completed". Tbilisi City Hall. 24 November 2020. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  4. ^ "Road numbering systems - Russia". Retrieved 22 August 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 22 July 2021.
  6. ^ "Agreements have been signed for the construction of the Tbilisi-Sagarejo road" (in Georgian). Roads Department of Georgia. 14 December 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  7. ^ a b "First section of Kakheti Highway opens, project to be completed in 2024". Agenda.ge. 8 December 2023. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  8. ^ a b "Infrastructure Minister: new 35-km section of Kakheti Highway in east to reduce travel time by 50% province". Agenda.ge. 2024-10-04. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  9. ^ "Kakheti Integrated Mobility Project". Wereldbank. 11 March 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  10. ^ a b "Infrastructure Minister: opening of Bakurtsikhe-Tsnori road "important" for development of Georgia's transport corridor". Agenda.ge. 2024-08-01. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  11. ^ "Construction of Bakurtsikhe-Tsnori bypass road begins". Roads Department of Georgia. 30 November 2021. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  12. ^ "Gurjaani bypass road opens in Kakheti, PM announces construction of 2 bln GEL worth of new roads". Agenda.ge. 8 July 2021. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  13. ^ "Road that Cuts Travel Time to Kakheti in Half- Agreements Signed with Chinese and Turkish Companies". Caucasus Business Week. 11 March 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  14. ^ a b c "Tbilisi-Sagarejo new road" (in Georgian). Roads Department of Georgia. Retrieved 2022-05-27.
  15. ^ "Georgian Premier says Kakheti Expressway will shorten travel time". Georgia Online. 2022-04-16. Retrieved 2022-04-18.
  16. ^ "Construction of Kakheti highway has started" (in Georgian). Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure. 2022-04-16. Retrieved 2022-04-18.
  17. ^ a b "On granting the right of expropriation to the Department of Roads of Georgia, a state sub-agency under the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia for essential public needs" (in Georgian). The Legislative Herald of Georgia. 16 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  18. ^ "A contract was signed for the construction of the 17 km section of Sagarejo-Badiauri" (in Georgian). Roads Department of Georgia. 2023-02-10. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
  19. ^ 87.8 million Georgian Lari from the Batumi Bypass project credit
  20. ^ "Bakurtsikhe-Tsnori bypass road" (in Georgian). Roads Department of Georgia. Retrieved 2022-05-27.
  21. ^ a b "Georgia: Batumi Bypass Road Project - Project Sheet". Asian Development Bank. Retrieved 27 May 2022.

External links

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