The President of Georgia opened construction of an automobile road and congratulated Rustavians on the beginning of the project. Mikheil Saakashvili later addressed the road workers and spoke about the importance of the project. According to him, the new freeway will shorten the travel from Tbilisi to Rustavi to 7 minutes, which will unblock the traffic and ensure safe travel. The President also stated that the new road is a prerequisite for developing industry, trade, logistic, and infrastructure which will in its turn provide employment prospects for people.
“Construction of the main portion of the modern autobahn will end next year and shorten the distance from Rustavi to the center of Tbilisi to 7 minutes. Considering the fact that this autobahn will be extended to the Azeri border and later merge to the Baku Tbilisi freeway, this is really a historic occurrence for Rustavians and Tbilisians. The ongoing processes in Rustavi will give the local residents more employment prospects. This is not only a source of employment for specialists my friends; this is a source of employment for thousands of Tbilisians and Rustavians, because it will create an effect of merging these two unique cities and provide unprecedented job opportunities for each one of us. I am proud that I am leading this project, and the main part of this road will be finished by the end of my Presidential term. We are of course going to continue the rehabilitation process and this is in no way related to terms. We are going to keep building Georgia in the following years as well! I’ve been waiting for today for a long time and I am happy now. I would like to congratulate each Rustavian, Ramaz Nikolaishvili and his Ministry on the beginning of this construction” – stated the President of Georgia.
The main portion of the 17 kilometer road will be finished in one year and the entire project in two years. The first stage of the project envisions construction of 4 rest areas and 9 bridges. There will be several buildings erected and water pipelines laid underground. Over 2 thousand persons will be employed at the construction, most of them local.