ArmInfo. The Bargushat Tunnel in Armenia will be built by a consortium of two French companies – Vinci Construction Grands Projects and Razel-Bec Sas. At a meeting on April 30, the Armenian government officially greenlit a Memorandum of Understanding between the RA Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure and the consortium.
The Bargushat Tunnel is set to become the longest tunnel in Armenia, stretching approximately 8.65 kilometers. It is the centerpiece of the new Sisian-Kajaran road section, which is a vital link in the broader 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, 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 EUR 2.6 billion financial assistance package to Armenia, 600 million will be allocated for the construction of the Kajaran-Sisian road over the next five years. An additional $150 million will be provided by the Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development, managed by the Eurasian Development Bank. The ADB has already allocated $500 million. The 60 km 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 was constantly revised upward. In September 2012, when construction of the highway began, the figure cited by Armenian government representatives was significantly lower – $962 million; today, the investment is estimated at approximately $3 billion.
It is also worth noting that VINCI Construction Grands Projets and Razel-Bec Sas are known as major international construction companies involved in complex tunnels and infrastructure projects.
