Armenia to take €236 million loan from EIB for North-South road construction
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is lending €236 million to Armenia to finance the construction of the Sisian-Kajaran road.
The Armenian government approved the loan agreement at a meeting on Thursday.
The 60-kolometer toad section will include the construction of 27 bridges with a total length of 4.7km and 9 tunnels totaling 12.5km in length. The longest tunnel will span 8.6 kilometers, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Gnel Sanosyan announced.
The road, which is part of the North-South road corridor, will shorten the route by 54km and increase the average speed from 50 km/h to 100 km/h, reducing travel time by nearly two hours.
Moreover, green bridges will be built in Armenia for the first time to allow animals to move freely.
The total loan amount for the road construction amounts to €708 million, while the government’s share totals to €150 million.