Georgia’s Minister of Finance, Lasha Khutsishvili, and Lesley Bearman Lahm, Country Director of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Georgia Resident Mission, have signed a €306.6 million loan agreement to fund the construction of a key section of highway along the Batumi–Sarpi route, the Ministry of Finance announced.

The new 11-kilometre highway will begin at the Batumi bypass and extend toward the Sarpi border crossing with Türkiye. Designed to meet Trans-European Motorway standards, the project features major engineering works, including a 7.6-kilometre bidirectional tunnel and a 1.47-kilometre bridge spanning the Chorokhi River.

According to the Ministry’s press release, the project is expected to significantly reduce travel times, improve road safety, and strengthen regional trade and connectivity.

Ahead of the signing, Finance Minister Khutsishvili, Infrastructure Minister Revaz Sokhadze, and ADB’s Lesley Bearman Lahm held discussions on the project’s strategic importance and the broader partnership between Georgia and the ADB.

Both ministers thanked the ADB for its continued support and expressed confidence in the future of their cooperation.