The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on September 26 approved a $360 million loan to help enhance Georgia’s road infrastructure and regional connectivity.

The project will support the upgrade of the last critical section of Georgia’s East–West Highway, providing a new climate-resilient connection to Georgia’s border with Türkiye at Sarpi and improving the country’s capacity to manage the road infrastructure network.

The road will build on and extend ADB’s support to Georgia’s road infrastructure—two sections of the East–West Highway, Kobuleti and Batumi bypasses, the ongoing North–South Corridor (Kvesheti–Kobi highway), and secondary roads—for a combined investment exceeding $1.1 billion. ADB has also supported the Roads Department to strengthen its capacity in procurement, safeguards, contract management, and implementation.

“ADB has been supporting the Government of Georgia’s national strategy on improving road infrastructure for more than a decade, and we are proud to see the tangible results,” said ADB Country Director for Georgia Lesley Bearman Lahm. “The Batumi–Sarpi road that completes the last-mile connectivity in Georgia’s road network will enhance the country’s regional position as a preferred route for trade and logistics across the region and create more economic opportunities for the people of Georgia.”

The 11-kilometer road between the Batumi bypass road and the Georgia–Türkiye border crossing point at Sarpi will be constructed to Trans-European Motorway standards. The road’s inland realignment will avoid climate hazards, while the road design will include slope stabilization and rockfall protection, enhanced drainage and erosion control, and coastal protection along 500 meters of the Black Sea.

The improved road will play a vital role as a cross-border link with Türkiye, enhancing the trade corridor 2 of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC)—which runs through Georgia, positioning the country as a significant regional partner and attractive investment destination for goods and services produced for regional and global markets.

The project will help the Roads Department of Georgia modernize its road asset management systems, providing support for a low-carbon transition and improving road safety awareness. The project will also strengthen the capacity of transport sector-related quality control by providing training and testing equipment for the Bridge Laboratory of the Georgian Technical University.

ADB has supported Georgia since 2007 and is one of the country’s largest multilateral development partners. ADB’s loans, grants, and technical assistance to Georgia total $5 billion. ADB’s five-year country partnership strategy with Georgia aims to help the nation develop into a green and inclusive regional gateway while supporting sovereign and private sector investments, policy reforms, capacity building, climate-resilient infrastructure, and regional integration.