Kalbajar: A media tour has started on the Toghanali-Kalbajar-Istisu highway, APA’s local bureau reports. Journalists got acquainted with the work being carried out in the tunnel.
According to Azeri-Press News Agency, media representatives were informed about the work carried out on the Toghanali-Kalbajar-Istisu highway on August 21 by President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva. President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva participated in the groundbreaking ceremony of this road in August 2021.
The Toghanali-Kalbajar-Istisu highway, a significant infrastructure project in the economic regions of Karabakh and East Zangazur, spans 82 kilometers. Of this, 56 kilometers cover the Toghanali-Kalbajar section, and 26 kilometers cover the Kalbajar-Istisu section. The Murovdag mountain range begins at the 13.5th kilometer of the highway, where the elevation increases from 1,700 meters to 3,250 meters.
To ensure safe operation during the winter season, a tunnel unde
r the Murovdag range is being constructed. The Murovdag tunnel is notable for being one of the longest road tunnels in the world, ranking 18th globally, 5th in Europe, and 1st among CIS countries. The tunnel will feature four lanes, with two outgoing and two incoming. Excavation work and the construction of 38 cross-passages connecting the right and left sections of the tunnel have been completed. Additionally, four more tunnels with a total length of 2,636 meters are under construction, with the main construction works mostly finished.
Within the Toghanali-Kalbajar-Istisu highway project, 87 percent of the work has been completed. The highway starts from the village of Toghanali in the Goygol district, passes through the liberated Kalbajar, and extends to the famous Istisu resort area. This road will ensure convenient and safe transportation links to the region’s residential areas and contribute to the development of agriculture and tourism.
The implementation of this strategically important project in cha
llenging geographical conditions demonstrates the Azerbaijani state’s commitment to rapidly restoring liberated districts under President Ilham Aliyev’s leadership. This includes creating modern road and transport infrastructure in those regions. On August 21, President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva reviewed the progress of the Toghanali-Kalbajar-Istisu highway.