Presidents of Azerbaijan and Türkiye inspected progress on Kalbajar-Lachin highway construction

Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of the Republic of Türkiye, inspected the construction progress on the Kalbajar-Lachin highway on May 28.

Saleh Mammadov, Chairman of the Board of the State Agency of Azerbaijan Automobile Roads, briefed the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Türkiye on the ongoing construction activities.

The 75.8-kilometer Kalbajar-Lachin highway stands as a vital road infrastructure project within the Karabakh and East Zangezur economic regions.

The highway, originating from Gamishli village in the Kalbajar district, traversing the Lachin district, and connecting the two, will feature a combination of two, three, and four lanes.

Construction is progressing well on 16 of the 17 planned tunnels along the route, while the design for the remaining tunnel is underway.

Upon completion, the new highway will shorten the distance between the city centers of Kalbajar and Lachin to 93.8 kilometers, a reduction of 32.2 kilometers from the existing 126-kilometer route.

The current distance from Lachin city center to Lachin International Airport via the existing road is 65 kilometers. The new highway will reduce this distance to 35.8 kilometers. The construction of a bridge branching off at the 40th kilometer mark and leading to Lachin International Airport is also part of the project. Overall, 44 percent of the construction work on the Kalbajar-Lachin highway has been completed. The new road will provide convenient access to numerous settlements in the Kalbajar and Lachin districts, as well as to the district center and Lachin International Airport, fostering the socio-economic development of the region as a whole.