Azerbaijan plans to commission road bypassing Lachin in 2022

ArmInfo.The State Agency of Azerbaijan Automobile Roads has published photos from the construction area of a new road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with  Armenia, bypassing the Berdzor (Lachin corridor). The alternative  road, as previously stated by Azerbaijani officials, will be used by  both Armenians and citizens of Azerbaijan.

The report notes that the length of the new road will be 32  kilometers. "According to the project, the width of the carriageway  of the two-lane road will be seven meters, the width of the roadbed -  12 meters," the report says.

Large-scale construction work is currently underway along the road.  The construction of a four-span bridge 139.5 meters long at the 22nd  kilometer of the highway is at the final stage.

"The construction of a new highway is being carried out under the  control of the leadership of the State Agency of Azerbaijan  Automobile Roads. The work is being carried out according to the  schedule and in compliance with the technological sequence. The  necessary forces have been involved in the construction to complete  the work this year," the report says.

The sixth paragraph of the tripartite statement dated November 9,  2020 reads that "by agreement of the parties, in the next three  years, a plan will be determined for the construction of a new  traffic route along the Lachin corridor, providing a connection  between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia, with the subsequent  redeployment of the Russian peacekeeping contingent to guard this  route. Azerbaijan undertakes to guarantee the safety of movement of  citizens, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin corridor in both  directions." The new road will pass through the villages of Hin Shen  and Mets Shen of Nagorno-Karabakh.

In February of this year, Saleh Mammadov, chairman of the State  Agency of Azerbaijan Automobile Roads, said that the road under  construction bypassing the city of Lachin will be put into operation  by July 2022. "The length of this road will be 28 km, of which 17 km  have already been laid. The commissioning of the road is scheduled  for July this year," Mammadov said. According to him, this road will  connect 6 villages of the Lachin region. "Currently, Armenians are  passing through Lachin. The alternative road, which is being built  around Lachin, will be used by both Armenians and our citizens,"  Mammadov said.