The Georgian S5 route (Georgian: საერთაშორისო მნიშვნელობის გზა ს55, Saertashoriso mnishvnelobis gza S5, road of international importance), also known as Tbilisi-Bakurtsikhe-Lagodekhi (Azerbaijan border) or Kakheti Highway, is a "road of international importance" within the Georgian road network and runs from Tbilisi via Sagarejo and Bakurtsikhe to the border with Azerbaijan near Lagodekhi over a distance of 160 kilometres (99 mi).[1] After crossing the Georgian-Azerbaijan border the highway continues as M5 to Zagatala and Yevlakh. The S5 highway is one of the two Georgian S-highways that is not part of the European or Asian international highway routes. Within the Georgian S-network it connects with the S9 Tbilisi Bypass.

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S5
საერთაშორისო 5
Tbilisi-Bakurtsikhe-Lagodekhi
S5 highway near Vaziani.jpg
S5 across Iori Plateau near Vaziani
Route information
Length160 km[1] (99 mi)
Existed1996–present
Major junctions
West endTbilisi
Major intersections(km)

  13 Exit Tbilisi Airport

  19 ()

  26 Sh38 Telavi via Gombori

  95 Sh40 Sighnaghi

104 Sh42 Gurjaani / Telavi

111 Sh40 Sighnaghi

118 Sh39 Dedoplistskaro

150 Sh43 Kvareli / Akhmeta
East endAzerbaijan border (Lagodekhi)
Azerbaijan
Location
Georgia
MunicipalitiesTbilisi, Gardabani, Sagarejo, Gurjaani, Sighnaghi, Lagodekhi
Highway system
  • Roads in Georgia

Referring to its main location, the Kakheti region, the road is nicknamed "Kakheti Highway". While the segment in the capital region until the Tbilisi Bypass intersection has been built as a 6 lane city express road, and has been so until the airport since the 1970s, the rest of the highway is a 2 lane highway which passes through towns and villages. To improve traffic flow in the crowded Alazani valley, a bypass is planned between Bakurtsikhe and Tsnori, and the 35 kilometres (22 mi) Tbilisi Bypass - Sagarejo section is scheduled to be upgraded to a 2x2 motorway.[2]

Background

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Since the early 1980s the current S5 route was referred to within the Soviet road network as A302 between Tbilisi and the junction West of Lagodekhi. Beyond this point the road was part of the A315 to Zagatala and further into the Azerbaijan SSR. Prior to the 1980s the route of today's S5 was unnumbered as was the case with most Soviet roads.[3]

After Georgia regained independence in 1991, the Soviet route designations were maintained until 1996 when the current route numbering system was adopted. In that year the "roads of international importance" (S-)category was introduced and the "S5 Tbilisi-Bakurtsikhe-Lagodekhi (Azerbaijan border)" replaced the old A302 and A315 designations.[4]

Future

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In 2021 contractors were signed for a new 35 kilometres (22 mi) motorway section of the S5 highway, between the Tbilisi Bypass (S9) and Sagarejo.[2] The project is divided in three lots and will be financed by the state. Chinese and Turkish companies will build two lots of 31 kilometres (19 mi) in total, while a Georgian company will be responsible for the remainder. The redesigned section will bypass villages and towns. Due is an upgrade of the Sagarejo-Badiauri section of 17 kilometres (11 mi), for which the World Bank committed to financing.[5]

Also a 17 kilometres (11 mi) km bypass between Bakurtsikhe and Tsnori has been announced. The tender for this section has been completed in 2021.[6] This section of the S5 in the Alazani Valley is densely built up and has a chain of villages and towns. Similarly, the Gurjaani Bypass was opened north of Bakurtikhe in 2021.[7]

Upgrades S5 highway
Lot Section Length Funding Contractor Start construction Opened Remarks
3 Tbilisi Bypass - Vaziani 4.0 km $150m State budget[8] New Road Ltd (GE)[9] April 2022[10][11]
1 Vaziani - Sagarejo[12] 23.8 km China Road and Bridge Corporation (CN)[9]
2 Sagarejo[12] 7.7 km Göçay İnşaat Taahhüt ve Ticaret (TK)[9]
4 Sagarejo - Badiauri 17.0 km €97.7m World Bank Göçay İnşaat Taahhüt ve Ticaret (TK)[13]
Bakurtikhe - Tsnori 16.6 km $30m Asian Development Bank[14] China Road and Bridge Corporation (CN)[15] Q1 2022[16] Budget part of Batumi Bypass project credit[16]
1.000 km = 0.621 mi
  •       Under construction
The S5 "Kakheti highway" will be upgraded to motorway Tbilisi - Sagarejo - Badiauri and a single carriageway bypass Bakurtsikhe - Tsnori.

Route

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S5 sign in Tbilisi city

The reference point for the mileage of roads leaving Tbilisi, such as the S5 highway, is Freedom Square according to the Georgian "Law on motor roads".[17] But that does not mean Freedom Square is the actual starting point of the highway. In the case of the S5 the actual starting point is George W. Bush Street east of the city centre and about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) from Freedom Square. The main speed limit is 90 km/h (56 mph) with the exception of passage through towns and villages (60 km/h (37 mph), may vary locally) and within the Tbilisi city. With the exception of the Tbilisi part, the highway is a two lane road throughout and doesn't have major differences in altitude: it hovers around 450–600 m (1,480–1,970 ft) above sea level, reaches its lowest point of 200 m (660 ft) asl in the Alazani Valley and its highest point of 840 m (2,760 ft) asl near Sagarejo.

Tbilisi - Sagarejo

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George W. Bush Street, Tbilisi

The Kakheti Highway starts in George W Bush Street the "Kakheti Highway" as a 2x3 lane city express road, with parallel lanes until the airport exit just before the Tbilisi Lilo area. In 2020 the stretch until the Tbilisi Airport has been completely rehabilitated.[18] Through Lilo the road is a 2x2 lane city road after which the road reduces to a two lane highway until its terminus. From this point a 35 km 2x2 motorway to Sagarejo has been planned, with construction works being anticipated.[2] Heading East the S5 highway runs through the dry East Georgian lands passing a few villages and some hills along the way. Just East of Vaziani the Sh38 state route offers an alternative to north Kakheti and Alazani valley via the 1,640 m (5,380 ft) Gombori Pass. Near Sagarejo the highway skirts along the foot of the Gombori mountain range which extends in southeasterly direction from the Caucasus range and separates the Iori and Alazani river valleys. Sagarejo is the regional centre of this part of Kakheti, and it offers the northern access road to the historic David Gareja monastery complex on the border with Azerbaijan.

Sagarejo - Tsnori

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Winding through Kakheti villages

Heading out of Sagarejo the S5 follows the foot of the Gombori mountain range. The Tbilisi - Gurjaani - Telavi railway line which opened in 1915 follows more or less the same route, and crosses the S5 a couple of times (grade separated). Just before passing over the Gombori Range in its southern tip the Sh40 leads to touristic Signagi which is situated on top of the ridge providing splendid views over the Alazani Valley. The S5 meanwhile passes over the lower part of the range at a modest 770 m (2,530 ft) and arrives in Bakurtsikhe. In Bakurtsikhe the S5 turns right running parallel to the Alazani river valley and the flank of the Gombori Range. Left in Bakurtsikhe runs the main thoroughfare of the South side of the Alazani valley, the Sh42 state route to Gurjaani, Telavi and Akhmeta.

Due to the intensive wine production in this region, this side of the Alazani Valley is densely populated with a string of villages and towns crammed next to each other along the Sh42 and S5. Since summer 2021 a new Bypass has been opened between Bakurtsikhe and Gurjaani to improve traffic flow while reducing traffic through the villages.[7] The S5 between Bakurtsikhe and Tsnori will get a similar bypass around the string of villages.[6] For a highway with this status this section of the road is also quite narrow at places.

Tsnori - Lagodekhi

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Terminus of S5

In Tsnori the S5 highway turns northeast across the fertile and green Alazani river valley. The Alazani is the main river in Kakheti and provides the water for the intensive grape and fruit farming in the region. Across the valley the highway passes through a string of villages again, yet less densely populated. At Ninigori the S5 junctions with the regional thoroughfare along the North side of the valley, the Sh43, which leads to Akhmeta via Kvareli. At the foot of the Caucasus Range Lagodekhi is the main town near the border with Azerbaijan. Beyond the border via a narrow bridge across the Matsimis Tskali River the road continues as M-5 through the Zaqatala region, a formerly contested area between the two countries.

Intersections

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RegionMunicipalitykmmi DestinationsRouteNotes
City of Tbilisi42.5"Kakheti Highway" (S5) begins at George W. Bush Street
74.3 Moscow Ave / Javakheti Str
95.6 Varketili / Tbilisi Sea
116.8 Chantladze Street
138.1 Tbilisi Airport
1811Tbilisi city limits
Continues East as two lane highway.
Crosses Lochini River (180m, region boundary))
Kvemo KartliGardabani1912 Batumi / Poti
Tsiteli Khidi (Red Bridge) / Rustavi
      "Tbilisi Bypass"
2113 Vaziani
2314 Martkopi   Martkopi monastery signposted
2717 Sioni / Tianeti / Telavi Via Gombori Pass
3421Crosses Iori River (150 m)
KakhetiSagarejo4025Crosses Patardzeuliskhevi River (120 m)
4729Sagarejo town limits
5031   Davit Gareja 
5132Sagarejo town limits
6239Crosses Chailuri River (115 m)
Gurjaani9358 Signagi
Melaani
 
 
 
 
10263 Telavi Since 2021 via Gurjaani Bypass
Signagi11068 Sighnaghi 
11672 Sighnaghi 
11873 Dedoplistskaro 
12880Crosses Alazani River (115 m, municipality boundary)
Lagodekhi15093 Akhmeta 
15596Crosses Shromiskhevi River (75 m)
15798Crosses Lagodekhiskhevi River (115 m)
16099  Lagodekhi border checkpoint.
Crosses Matsimis Tskali River (100 m, Georgia - Azerbaijan border)
  Balakan border checkpoint. Road continues as   to Zagatala and Yevlakh
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

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  1. ^ a b "2014 List of highways of international and domestic importance" (in Georgian). The Legislative Herald of Georgia. 18 June 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  2. ^ a b c "Agreements have been signed for the construction of the Tbilisi-Sagarejo road" (in Georgian). Roads Department of Georgia. 14 December 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  3. ^ "Road numbering systems - Russia". Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  4. ^ "On Approval of Indicators and List for Determination of International, Domestic and Local Roads of Georgia (1996)" (in Georgian). The Legislative Herald of Georgia. 16 December 1996. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  5. ^ "Kakheti Integrated Mobility Project". Wereldbank. 11 March 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Construction of Bakurtsikhe-Tsnori bypass road begins". Roads Department of Georgia. 30 November 2021. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  7. ^ a b "Gurjaani bypass road opens in Kakheti, PM announces construction of 2 bln GEL worth of new roads". Agenda.ge. 8 July 2021. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  8. ^ "Road that Cuts Travel Time to Kakheti in Half- Agreements Signed with Chinese and Turkish Companies". Caucasus Business Week. 11 March 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  9. ^ a b c "Tbilisi-Sagarejo new road" (in Georgian). Roads Department of Georgia. Retrieved 2022-05-27.
  10. ^ "Georgian Premier says Kakheti Expressway will shorten travel time". Georgia Online. 2022-04-16. Retrieved 2022-04-18.
  11. ^ "Construction of Kakheti highway has started" (in Georgian). Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure. 2022-04-16. Retrieved 2022-04-18.
  12. ^ a b "On granting the right of expropriation to the Department of Roads of Georgia, a state sub-agency under the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia for essential public needs" (in Georgian). The Legislative Herald of Georgia. 16 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  13. ^ "A contract was signed for the construction of the 17 km section of Sagarejo-Badiauri" (in Georgian). Roads Department of Georgia. 2023-02-10. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
  14. ^ 87.8 million Georgian Lari from the Batumi Bypass project credit
  15. ^ "Bakurtsikhe-Tsnori bypass road" (in Georgian). Roads Department of Georgia. Retrieved 2022-05-27.
  16. ^ a b "Georgia: Batumi Bypass Road Project - Project Sheet". Asian Development Bank. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  17. ^ "Law "About motor roads", consolidated version of 15 July 2020" (in Georgian). The Legislative Herald of Georgia. 15 July 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  18. ^ "Rehabilitation of George Bush Street, Kakheti Highway and the patterns adjacent to the Monument – "The Man and The Sun" has been completed". Tbilisi City Hall. 24 November 2020. Retrieved 1 September 2021.