The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $360 million loan to enhance Georgia’s road infrastructure and regional connectivity. The funding will support the upgrade of the final critical section of Georgia’s East–West Highway, providing a climate-resilient connection to the country’s border with Türkiye at Sarpi and strengthening Georgia’s capacity to manage its road infrastructure network.
This project builds on ADB’s prior support for Georgia’s road development, including the Kobuleti and Batumi bypasses, the ongoing North–South Corridor (Kvesheti–Kobi highway), and secondary roads, with total investments exceeding $1.1 billion. ADB has also assisted Georgia’s Roads Department in improving procurement, safeguards, contract management, and project implementation.
Lesley Bearman Lahm, ADB Country Director for Georgia, noted that the Batumi–Sarpi road will complete the last-mile connectivity in the national road network, enhancing Georgia’s position as a preferred trade and logistics route in the region and creating economic opportunities for its citizens.
The 11-kilometer road connecting the Batumi bypass to the Georgia–Türkiye border will be built to Trans-European Motorway standards. Its inland realignment will mitigate climate hazards, and the design includes slope stabilization, rockfall protection, enhanced drainage, erosion control, and coastal protection along 500 meters of the Black Sea.
The upgraded road will serve as a key cross-border link with Türkiye, strengthening trade along the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Corridor 2 and positioning Georgia as a strategic regional partner and investment destination.
The project will also help the Roads Department modernize road asset management systems, support a low-carbon transition, improve road safety awareness, and enhance transport sector quality control through training and equipment for the Georgian Technical University’s Bridge Laboratory.
ADB has been a major development partner in Georgia since 2007, providing loans, grants, and technical assistance totaling $5 billion. Its five-year country partnership strategy aims to develop Georgia into a green and inclusive regional gateway, supporting both sovereign and private sector investments, policy reforms, capacity building, climate-resilient infrastructure, and regional integration.
Founded in 1966, ADB is a leading multilateral development bank with 69 members, 50 of which are from Asia and the Pacific. It works with members and partners to foster inclusive, resilient, and sustainable growth, using innovative financial tools and strategic partnerships to transform lives, build quality infrastructure, and safeguard the planet.
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