Due to the closure of borders with Iran due to coronavirus, a problem  with bitumen arose in Armenia

ArmInfo. Due to the closure of borders with Iran due to coronavirus, a problem with bitumen arose in Armenia. The Minister of Territorial Administration and  Infrastructures of the Republic of Armenia Suren Papikyan stated this  at a government meeting on March 5.  

According to him, steps are being taken to solve the problem. This measure is necessary to continue the program of restoration of the republic's highways. In  the next two to three days, the results of a tender for the selection  of contractors for the restoration of 244 km of roads will be summed  up. According to the minister, bypass roads, work can already be  started. Work is also underway to launch an average road repair  program, which is being implemented with the financial assistance of  the World Bank.  Recall that in May last year, the Board of Directors  of the Bank approved a second, additional funding for the program for  improving the vital road network "in the amount of 13.4 million  euros. These funds will be repaired vital roads with a length of  about 65 km in Aragatsotn, Ararat, Gegharkunik , Lori and Syunik  Regions, the first stage of the vital road network improvement  program has restored a vital road with a total length of 170 km.  programs Partial managed to recover more under -. road with total  length of 41.1 km in the second phase of funding for the program is  planned to restore the critical parts of a total length of 360 km  (including 170 of the main program).

In general, in 2019, Armenia allocated about 20 billion drams (about  $ 41 million) to repair 312 km of interstate and republican roads,  not counting the construction of the road as part of the North-South  investment program and the M6 Vanadzor road to the Georgian border An  unprecedented amount of average and major repairs was carried out in  2019, as well as work to fill the pits on the roads over the past  five years. Nevertheless, to say that the republic will solve all  problems in the field of road construction in the near future is not  oditsya. According to the analysis of the Asian Development Bank  (ADB) by 2015, to maintain the normal state of the entire road  network and bring it to the proper level of Armenia required amount  of over 20 billion drams annually.

Meanwhile, as Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan previously  reported, the Cabinet of Ministers plans to carry out medium and  overhaul of interstate and republican roads with a length of at least  2,500 km until 2023, not counting the construction of the North-South  transport corridor as part of the investment program.