Armenian government releases 948.3 million drams for rehabilitation of urban roads in Gyumri

YEREVAN, December 9. /ARKA/. The Armenian government approved today the release of 948.3 million drams for a project designed to improve the road network and street lighting in the second-largest town of Gyumri, the capital of north-western province Shirak.

The operation will enable the city of Gyumri to rehabilitate major streets and modernize public lighting. Street rehabilitation works will include renewal of asphalt and pavements, including upgrade of water drainage infrastructure.

Public and street lighting refurbishment entails replacing existing high pressure mercury-based lamps with modern energy-efficient technology using LED lamps.

Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Minister Gnel Sanosyan said some 887 million drams of the amount are proceeds of a loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and grants from the EBRD Shareholder Special Fund (SSF) and Eastern Europe Energy Efficiency and Environmental Partnership (E5P) provided for the project and the rest is the government’s co-funding.

He said the money will be used to pay three contractor companies for the work done in 2021.

The total cost of the program is 23.84 million euro. The reconstruction work began in 2019. The road rehabilitation project has a total estimated cost of EUR 14 million equivalent and the cost of the street lighting project is worth 6.5 million euros.

The minister said the asphalting of 26 km of roads (37 streets), and the replacement of street lighting in the adjacent areas and streets is to be over by the middle of 2022.

"At this point, of the 37 streets, work on 23 has already been completed with all adjacent processes. There are 14 more streets that are in the process right now." he said ($1-$493.81 AMD). -0-