Azernews.Az

Nazrin Abdul

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Following the directive of President Ilham Aliyev, significant infrastructure development continues in the Garabagh and Eastern Zangazur economic regions, including the rapid construction of the Toghanalı-Kalbajar-Istisu highway, Azernews reports, citing Azerbaijan State Agency of Automobile Roads (AAYDA).

The total length of the project is 82 kilometers, this highway connects the Göygöl and Kalbajar districts. The Toghanali-Kalbajar section spans 56 km, while the Kalbajar-Istisu section covers 26 km. Starting from the 16th kilometer, the route traverses the Murovdag mountain range, with elevations rising from 1,700 meters up to 3,250 meters.

A key feature of the project is the construction of the Murovdag tunnel, set to be one of the longest road tunnels in the world. The tunnel stretches 23,401.8 meters and features four traffic lanes—two in each direction. Additionally, four more tunnels are under construction with lengths of 561.2 m, 626.9 m, 500 m, and 947.9 m.

The Murovdag tunnel (Tunnel No. 3) consists of left and right tubes measuring 11,711.5 m and 11,690.3 m respectively. Drilling and shotcrete work totaling 18,160.3 meters have been completed. Of the 37 connecting tunnels linking the two tubes, 36 have been built, with work ongoing on the remaining one.

Progress on other tunnels is as follows:

Tunnel No.1 (561.2 m), Tunnel No.2 (626.9 m), Tunnel No.4 (500 m), and Tunnel No.5 (947.9 m) have completed drilling, shotcrete, and lining works.

The highway is being constructed in accordance with technical standards I, II, and III, featuring 2, 3, and 4 traffic lanes respectively. The main sections are built to the II technical standard (two lanes with additional climbing lanes on inclines), while the Murovdag tunnel section is designed to I technical standard (four lanes).

Technical standard breakdown by length:

I standard: 14.2 km

II standard: 34.8 km

III standard: 33 km

The project also includes the construction of six road junctions totaling 2,968 meters and 35 connecting roads spanning 4,594 meters.

Currently, earthworks such as site clearing, vegetation removal, excavation, embankment formation, and construction of artificial structures are underway. On completed sections, road base layers and asphalt concrete surfacing are being laid.

Road pavement work completed so far includes:

56 km of leveling layer

38 km of base sub-layer

55 km each of base and top layers

52 km of lower pavement layer

Engineering structures planned for the project include:

162 circular pipes (total length 3,581 m)

119 rectangular pipes (4,825 m)

1 wildlife crossing (29 m)

14 U-shaped artificial structures (4,552 m)

2,598 m of trapezoidal drainage channels

76,556 m² of geosynthetic retaining walls

8,661 m of retaining walls

46,705 m of stone walls (including reinforced earth structures)

Completed works to date:

Installation of 147 circular and 97 rectangular pipes

Construction of 1 wildlife crossing and 14 U-shaped structures

Erection of 32,475 m of stone walls and 8,661 m retaining walls

Completion of 1,057 m trapezoidal channels and 77,743 m² of geosynthetic walls

Overall, 85% of the physical construction work on the project has been completed.

The construction is carried out under the supervision of the Azerbaijan State Agency of Automobile Roads, strictly adhering to national construction standards and regulations. Significant equipment and workforce have been mobilized to ensure timely and quality completion.

The Toghanalı-Kalbajar-Istisu highway begins at the village of Toghanali in the Göygöl district and runs through the recently liberated Kalbajar district. This road will provide safe and convenient transport links not only to the district center but also to numerous local communities and the renowned Istisu resort area.