UNITED NATIONS E

Economic and Social Distr. GENERAL Council TRANS/SC.1/1998/3 1 July 1998

Original: ENGLISH

ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE

INLAND TRANSPORT COMMITTEE

Working Party on Road Transport (Ninety-second session, 19-21 October 1998, agenda item 3 (a)(ii))

ROAD TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE

European Agreement on Main International Traffic Arteries (AGR)

Ad Hoc Meeting on the Implementation of the AGR and Results of the Round Table on the Extension of the E-road Network to the Caucasus and Central Asian ECE Member States

Transmitted by the Government of

Note: At its sixteenth session (30 April - 1 May 1998, Geneva), the Ad Hoc Meeting on the Implementation of the AGR considered the proposals for new E-roads made by the Government of Armenia and contained in TRANS/SC.1/AC.5/1998/2. The proposals were approved with the exception of those with and Turkey and may be found in part II of the annex to TRANS/SC.1/AC.5/32.

The following document contains background information on the infrastructure and transport situation in Armenia, which the Working Party may wish to consider during its discussion of the extension of the E Road network to the Caucasus and Central Asian ECE Member States.

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GE.98- TRANS/SC.1/1998/3 page 2

1. The Republic of Armenia is situated in the southern Transcaucasus. Land area: 30,000 km2 Population (1995): 3.7 million Capital: (population 1.2 million) Administrative divisions: 10 regions and the city of Yerevan, which has the status of a region Currency: dram Member of the United Nations since 2 March 1992.

2. Armenia is a mountainous country but its road network fully ensures connections with the European E road network and the Asian highway system. In the south and south•west, Armenia's roads link up with the European network in the territory of Turkey with roads E 80, E 97 and E 99. In the south the E 80 road in the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran joins the Asian highways. In addition, the E 80 and E 99 roads via the main and through and Azerbaijan provide connections with the E 115 Rostov•Grozny•Baku road, and then at Turkmenbashi (Caspian Sea) and Astara. These roads are the main traffic arteries of the Republic and at the same time will be used also to rehabilitate the medieval “Silk Road”. The individual sections of these roads are described below and also indicated schematically on the maps.

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Road No. 1

Border of Georgia (Akhaltsikhe)•Ashotsk•••Echmiadzin• Masis•Artashat•Eraskh•Ekhegnadzor•Vaik•••Megri•border of Iran.

There are about 200 km from the border with Georgia through Akhaltsikhe•Khashuri•E 97.

The Georgia•Ashotsk section (17 km) has a 9.0 m (2 x 1) carriageway with asphalt and concrete surfacing. Routine maintenance work is required here.

The Ashotsk•Gyumri section is 41 km long, with asphalt and concrete surfacing.

The width on one 15 km section is 6.5•7.0 m and on another 15 km section it is 8•9 m, in good condition. On the first section 8 km need to be rebuilt, at a cost of US$ 200•220,000 per kilometre.

Average daily traffic from the border to Gyumri is 1,700•1,900 vehicles/ day. This road runs through the Ketin mountain pass at a height of 2,015 m above sea level.

On the Gyumri•Ashtarak section (106 km) the road is in good condition with an asphalt and concrete road surface and a width of 9.0 m. Traffic density is as much as 5,500 vehicles/day. At the approach to Ashtarak there is a category I road (2 x 2) with a carriageway 2 x 8.5 m wide and a dividing strip.

The Ashtarak (Markara• junction)•Echmiadzin•Masis (Yerevan•Megri junction) section is 39 km long; at the exit from Ashtarak there is a 5.5 km section of category I road (2 x 2) with a carriageway width of 2 x 8.8 m and no dividing strip. Traffic here reaches up to 3,000 vehicles/day.

On the section to Eraskh (50 km) the route crosses the Ararat plain. On this section there are 34 km of category I road (2 x 2) with a carriageway width of 2 x 8 m and with a dividing strip. TRANS/SC.1/1998/3 page 3

On the remaining 15 km of the section there is a 9 m carriageway. Traffic density reaches 4,000 vehicles/day.

On the Eraskh•Ekhegnadzor•Vaik section (76 km) the route runs through the Kyarkik mountain pass (1,780 m) and then descends through the picturesque Arpa gorge. The road has an asphalt and concrete surface (2 x 1) with a width of 9 m. There is an uncompleted project here to build an 8 km bypass around the village of (at a cost of about US$ 6.5 million). Traffic reaches 3,000 vehicles/day.

After the ninth kilometre from Vaik the route climbs to the Ugedzor mountain pass (2,344 m, 29 km from Vaik). This is a fourth category road with a carriageway width of 6.5•7 m and an asphalt and concrete surface. From there to Goris the route crosses the plateau. There is an asphalt and concrete surface on the 7 m wide carriageway. On the Vaik•Goris section (97 km) the density of traffic is 2,000 vehicles/day.

On the Goris•Kapan section (65 km) the road goes through two mountain passes at 1,750 m and 1,900 m above sea level. The road is 7 m wide with asphalt and concrete surfacing. For the first 12 km from Goris the carriageway needs to be rebuilt and reinforced at a cost of US$ 600,000. The work is due to be carried out in 1998•1999. Traffic density is 1,500 vehicles/day.

From Kapan the road climbs to the Megrin pass (2,535 m above sea level) and descends to the river Araks and the border with the Islamic Republic of Iran. The mountain pass section (25 km) is now being rebuilt (US$ 1.5 million). The carriageway (2 x 1) is 7 m wide and the road section has a length of 85 km.

The total length of road No. 1 in Armenia is 524 km, with 16 km to be rebuilt and 45 km of category I road.

From the border with Iran to Tebriz (continuation of the E 80 in Iran) there is a distance of about 80 km.

Road No. 2

This road also has a north•south orientation. It begins at the border with Georgia (near Bolnisi) and passes through ••Vanadzor• •Ashtarak, where it joins road No. 1. The total length of the road is 144 km, all of which has asphalt and concrete surfacing.

From the border of Georgia through Bolnisi••Khashuri the road connects with the E 97 route, and via Tbilisi•Grozny with the E 115 route.

On the section from the border with Georgia to Tashir (10 km) the width of the carriageway is 6•7 m. This section needs to be strengthened and rebuilt, at an estimated cost of US$ 0.5 million. Traffic density reaches up to 2,500 vehicles/day.

On the Tashir•Vanadzor section (43 km) the road has a width of 7 m. At the seventh km towards Vanadzor the road passes through the Pushkin tunnel (1,860 m), where there is a need for major repairs to the tunnel lining and drainage and ventilation systems.

On the Vanadzor•Spitak section (15 km), where the density of traffic reaches 3,500•4,000 vehicles/day, the width of the carriageway is 9•12.5 m.

From Spitak to Ashtarak there is a second category road (2 x 1) with a carriageway width of 9.0 m. The length of the section is 76 km, and traffic density reaches 4,000 vehicles/day. TRANS/SC.1/1998/3 page 4

Road No. 3

This is a branch of route No. 2 from Vanadzor to Georgia passing via Alaverdi and . From Bagratashen through Marneuli there is a link with Tbilisi (35 km) and the road later connects with the E 115 and E 97 routes. The road is 91 km long and 7•7.5 m wide, with asphalt and concrete surfacing. The whole route passes through the Debet gorge parallel to the Yerevan•Tbilisi railway line. Between Vanadzor and Alaverdi (50 km) there are a large number of bridges, pipes and safety barriers. Traffic density on this section reaches 2,500 vehicles/day.

Reinforcement and repair work on the asphalt and concrete surface (24.2 km) is due to be carried out this year at a cost of US$ 900,000.

On the section from Alaverdi to Bagratashen (border with Georgia) traffic density is up to 1,800 vehicles/day. Repairs will be carried out on 24 km of road surface at a cost of US$ 760,000.

Road No. 4

This road has a general east•west orientation, stretching from the border of Turkey (Markara) through Yerevan, Sevan and Idzhevan to the border of Azerbaijan. There are about 17 km from the border with Turkey (Markara) to the E 99, and also 17 km from the border with Azerbaijan to Kazakh (junction with the Tbilisi•Baku road). The length of the asphalt and concrete road is 191 km.

The Markara•Echmiadzin section (21 km) has a 7•8 m wide carriageway, and the section to Yerevan (18 km) has a 2 x 9 m wide carriageway (2 x 2) with a dividing strip in places.

The Yerevan•Sevan section (73 km) is a first category road (2 x 2) with a 2 x 7.5 m carriageway and a 5 m dividing strip.

The road then runs through the Sevan mountain pass at a height of 2,114 m above sea level and then descends to the resort town of Dilizhan and continues through the Agstaf gorge to the border with Azerbaijan.

This whole section (79 km) has a 7•7.5 m carriageway. A 2.2 km tunnel is being built through the Sevan mountain range. Construction has been halted for lack of funds (about US$ 10 million). The total length is 191 km, with 90 km of category I road.

Road No. 5

This road is also oriented east•west. It begins at the border with Armenia on the side and passes via Goris•Vaik•Ekhegnadzor• Eraskh•Masis•Echmiadzin•Markara to the border with Turkey. There are 170 km from the border with Armenia through Stepanakert to Evlakh (junction with the Tbilisi•Baku road).

From the border to Goris there are 25 km of asphalt and concrete road with a width of 7.5 m. The Goris•Echmiadzin section connects with road No. 1 (see description) and on the Echmiadzin border with Turkey (Markara) section there is a link with road No. 4. The total length of the road is 212 km.

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3. The rehabilitation of the “Silk Road”, which includes the routes indicated in part 1, will not only facilitate exports but also contribute significantly to the development of international tourism, since the Republic has a wealth of tourist sites and places of interest, most of which are TRANS/SC.1/1998/3 page 5 located near the main roads. The overall length of the main roads in Armenia is 1,162 km, 759 km being oriented north•south and 403 km west•east.

4. Some US$ 15 million have been invested in these roads since 1996 as a result of a loan granted by the World Bank to the Government of Armenia, and a further US$ 15 million are due to be invested over the period 1998•1999. Budgetary allocations for these main roads total about US$ 1.5•2.0 million (0.75•1.0 million drams) annually. The cost of construction of a standard new road with carriageways (2 x 1) of 7.5 m is US$ 300•350,000.

5. A few words about the conformity of the technical characteristics of these roads with the requirements of European Agreement on Main International Traffic Arteries (AGR). The above•listed roads were built in accordance with the Building Norms of the former USSR, which are still in force and with respect to some main characteristics contain stricter requirements than those proposed in the AGR. Thus, for example, the minimum radii in plane and vertical alignment are greater, and the longtitudinal slopes 1 per cent less than required by the European Agreement. Almost all the above•mentioned roads have carriageways which are more than 7.5 m wide, and on gradients sloping more than 3 per cent there is a supplementary lane at least 3.5 m wide.

5. This shows that Armenia’s main roads are relatively well suited to international traffic. However, there are still some unresolved questions, such as the lack of bypasses for large built•up areas, including the cities of Yerevan and Gyumri and the village of Malishka on road No. 1, the unfinished project for a tunnel through the Sevan mountain range on road No. 4 and the incomplete road facilities and services on all routes.

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