Left to right: Mamuka Patashuri and Giorgi Taktakishvili of the Roads Department of Georgia

The Roads Department of Georgia under the Ministry of Infrastructure has been working to improve the safety of roads across the country, with a recent focus on iRAP assessments in the Adjara and Guria regions and road upgrades in the Kakheti region aligned to the 2022-2025 National Road Safety Strategy.

The Adjara and Guria regions in south-west Georgia are characterized by mountainous terrain and proximity to the Black Sea, making them vital but challenging areas for road infrastructure development. Despite being the smallest regions by territory, Adjara, in particular, stands out for its large population, making these road networks crucial for local and international connectivity.

A recently completed 211 km Star Rating assessment of two international roads (S-02 and S-12) and one secondary road (SH-02) is helping to inform rehabilitation works on high-risk road sections. These roads are main arteries for the Adjara and Guria regions and national transport network.

In addition, 108km of S-02 and S-12 was Risk Mapped using detailed crash data to capture the combined risk arising from the interaction of road users, vehicles and the road environment.

The iRAP Accreditation of five Department team members was renewed as part of the project, ensuring best practice expertise and skills are applied.

The assessments are helping to prioritise the inclusion of cost-effective engineering solutions in the design documentation for rehabilitation works to achieve a 3-star or better safety rating.

Mamuka Patashuri and Giorgi Taktakishvili gather data at the roadside (Images credit: Giorgi Taktakishvili)

Furthermore, recent upgrades to high-risk road sections in the Kakheti region, specifically Akhmeta-Telavi-Bakurtsikhe and Akhmeta-Telavi-Bakurtsikhe, has followed recommendations of iRAP assessments conducted in 2021.

The Roads Department of Georgia is responsible for 1,517km of international roads and 5,570 km of secondary roads.

In 2026, the Roads Department will expand its assessment programme to the Samtskhe-Javakheti region, the largest territory in the country bordering Turkiye and Armenia. The 130km Star Rating assessment of international and secondary road networks aims to identify the highest risk road sections and inform investment plans to achieve 3-star or better road safety in planned rehabilitation works.

Mr Giorgi Taktakishvili, a Road Safety Engineer with the Roads Department of Georgia said, “iRAP indicators are included in these projects to align infrastructure safety standards across Georgia with international best practice. The Department is committed to ongoing assessments, capacity building and infrastructure upgrades in its goal to build a safer, more sustainable road network for the future. All of us are working to improve existing road safety and slowly but surely we see that we are achieving results. All life is important to us and our country.”

Partner-led iRAP activity has already assessed 1,800 km of roads and designs, and 11 schools in Georgia, influencing the safety of US$276 million of road infrastructure investment.

According to iRAP’s Safety Insights Explorer, achieving UN Target 4 for greater than 75% of travel on 3-star or better roads for all road users in Georgia by 2030 stands to save an estimated 159 lives each year and 186,145 lives and injuries over the 20-year life of road treatments with an economic benefit of USD$247.6 million – $2.40 for every $1 spent.