Acquaintance with the progress of construction on the Toghanali–Kalbajar–Istisu highway

On August 21, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva inspected the work carried out on the Toghanali–Kalbajar–Istisu highway. At the 13.5th kilometer of the road, the Head of State held the technical inauguration of the Murovdagh Tunnel, which has a length of 11.7 kilometers.

The Toghanali–Kalbajar–Istisu highway, foundation of which was laid in August 2021 with the participation of President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, is one of the most significant infrastructure projects implemented in the Karabakh and East Zangazur economic regions. The total length of the road is 82 kilometers, comprising 56 kilometers of the Toghanali–Kalbajar section and 26 kilometers of the Kalbajar–Istisu section.

The Murovdagh mountain range begins at the 13.5th kilometer of the highway. Thus, the most important part of the road passes through the Murovdagh range. The elevation in this area rises from 1,700 to 3,250 meters. To ensure the safe operation of the highway during the winter season, the construction of a tunnel beneath the Murovdagh range was deemed necessary.

The Murovdagh Tunnel ranks among the longest road tunnels in the world. In terms of length, it is the 18th longest globally, the 5th longest in Europe, and the longest among the CIS countries. The tunnel will consist of four lanes, with two in each direction. Excavation work, along with 38 connecting passages between the right and left sections, has already been completed. Within the framework of the project, in addition to the Murovdagh Tunnel, four further tunnels with a combined length of 2,636 meters are under construction. Major works in these tunnels, including excavation, arch-concrete lining, and other technical operations, have already been largely completed. A total of 87 percent of the work has been completed within the framework of the Toghanali–Kalbajar–Istisu highway project.