A public hearing was held regarding the construction projects of three major highways in the Karabakh and East Zangazur regions: Ahmadbeyli–Horadiz–Minjivan–Agband, Khudafarin–Gubadli–Lachin, and new alternative roads bypassing the city of Lachin.
The event brought together project clients, contractors, representatives of government agencies, environmentalists, NGOs, media, and other stakeholders, who separately discussed the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) documents prepared for these projects. According to Azad Majidov, Deputy Director of “Geoexpert Consulting” LLC, the length of the Khudafarin–Gubadli–Lachin highway is 69.94 km. The road has been designed in accordance with technical categories Iс, II, and III.
“This road consists of two sections. The first section starts from the part of the Ahmadbeyli–Horadiz–Minjivan–Agband main highway passing near the Khudafarin reservoir and continues to the city of Lachin. The second section stretches from Khanlig village to the city of Gubadli. Within the project, a total of 12 interchanges have been constructed — 9 in the first section and 3 in the second. The construction of seven tunnels between Malkhalaf village of Lachin district and the city of Lachin is still ongoing, and half of the works have already been completed,” Majidov noted.
Another major road, the Ahmadbeyli–Horadiz–Minjivan–Agband highway, has a total length of 123.5 km and meets the technical standard of category 1C. The road has six lanes for 79 km and four lanes for the remaining 44.5 km. The project includes the construction of three tunnels, 28 bridges, and eight interchanges. Tunnel construction was carried out using the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM). To prevent surface water (rain and snowmelt) from accumulating at construction sites and forming marshy areas during rainy weather or floods, and to ensure safe drainage without damaging the road and its structures, various sizes of culverts, drainage ditches, and concrete channels were built. The completion of construction works is expected in 2025.
Finally, the new alternative road bypassing the city of Lachin, with a length of 22 km, was put into operation on August 30, 2022, and has been designed in accordance with technical category III. The road has three lanes on uphill sections and two lanes on other parts. A bridge with a total length of 149.5 meters has been constructed along the route. This newly built highway is located in the territories of the Lachin and Shusha districts liberated from occupation. The road starts 1.4 km from Saribaba village of Shusha district on the Khankendi–Lachin highway, passes through the villages of Boyuk Galaderesi and Kichik Galaderesi, and ends at the 46th km of the Khudafarin–Gubadli–Lachin road.
It was emphasized that during the implementation of these projects, natural resources are used efficiently and all necessary measures are taken to ensure their restoration. The reports presented on the works carried out thoroughly take into account damage to greenery, construction camps established for road building, materials used there, removal and utilization of fertile topsoil, and compensation for environmental damage.
