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Laying-out of tunnel on Turkey-Georgia border completed within BTK project

24 August 2012 08:11 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Nijat Mustafayev â€“ APA-Economics. Within the framework of Baku-Tbilisi-kars railway construction project, laying-out of 4.35 km-tunnel on Turkey-Georgia border and Akhalkalaki station has been completed, Ministry of Transport told APA.

According to information, at present time, construction is underway at Kartsakhi station building, 150 m-bridge, located on the 101-103 km of the highway. Marabda- Akhalkalaki part of the road is still being reconstructed.

Note that, AZN 326.9 mln from AZN 775 mln, allocated on the basis of interstate agreement for realization of Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway construction project, has been spent during 2007-2012. Of these, AZN 47.1 mln has been spent in Q1, 2012.

Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey signed the final document on the construction of Baku-Tbilisi-Kars on February 8, 2007. The construction of the new railway started on November 21, 2007. Azerbaijan extended $200mln. preferential loan for Marabda-Kartsakhi Railway LLC (for 25 years) to construct Georgian part of the railway. At the expense of this loan new 29km-road and wheels changing station will be constructed and the old road will be reconstructed.

Moreover, Azerbaijan extended extra funds for Georgia $575mln. (for 25 years) to change the direction of the tunnel that will be built in the area from Akhalkalaki by the Turkish border and rehabilitate and reconstruct 160km railway in Marabda-Akhalkalaki. Baku-Tbilisi-Kars project is being implemented with the financial support of the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan.

First trains by Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway route will be departed next year. BTK would be put into operation in 2014.