ArmInfo. French Ambassador to Armenia Olivier Decotigny visited the Bargushat Tunnel construction site.
"In the village of Shenatagh in Syunik, at the entrance to the future Bargushat Tunnel, which will more firmly connect this region with the rest of Armenia," the diplomat wrote, recalling that the Armenian government and the French companies Vinci and Razel-Bec signed a memorandum of understanding on this strategically important project.
ArmInfo previously reported that the Bargushat Tunnel in Armenia would be built by a consortium of two French companies, Vinci Construction Grands Projects and Razel-Bec Sas. The Bargushat Tunnel is a key infrastructure project in Armenia, set to become the longest tunnel in the country (approximately 8.65 km). It is part of the large-scale construction of the new Sisian-Kajaran road, part of the North-South transport corridor. The new 60-kilometer Sisian-Kajaran road will be of the second technical category. It will traverse challenging mountainous terrain and include 27 bridges with a total length of 4.7 km and nine tunnels with a total length of 12.5 km (the longest tunnel, the Bargushat Tunnel, is approximately 8.6 km long). The prequalification stage of the international tender for this project has been completed, with 23 companies from Europe, China, and other countries submitting bids. Of the EU's overall ?2.6 billion financial assistance package to Armenia over the next five years, ?600 million will be allocated for the construction of the Kajaran-Sisian road. An additional $150 million will be provided by the Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development. The ADB has already allocated $500 million. The 60-kilometer section of the road will have a design speed of 80 km/h. The North-South project will reduce the distance from the Iranian to the Georgian border from 556 to 490 kilometers. The road will significantly facilitate access to the Black Sea not only for Armenia but also for Iran. The project will provide access to the Black Sea and European countries through Armenia (Meghri-Kapan-Goris-Yerevan-Ashtarak-Gyumri-Bavra) and Georgia. Construction of the corridor was initially planned for completion in 2019. The program's cost has been constantly revised upward. In September 2012, when construction of the highway began, the amount quoted by Armenian government representatives was significantly lower - $962 million; today, investments are being discussed at approximately $3 billion.
It is also worth noting that VINCI Construction Grands Projets and Razel-Bec Sas are known as large international construction companies involved in complex tunnels and infrastructure projects.
