ADB Supports Tbilisi Bypass with $250 Million Loan to Boost Georgia’s Regional Connectivity
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $250 million loan to help build a critical bypass around Tbilisi that will improve road connectivity, ease congestion, and strengthen Georgia’s role as a regional transport hub in the region.
The project will support the construction of an 18.9-kilometer, four-lane highway section of a road that will bypass Tbilisi, upgrading a key section of the East–West Highway. By routing traffic around the capital, the bypass will ease congestion in Tbilisi and improve the flow of goods and people. ADB’s financing will support two of the Tbilisi Bypass Road’s sections—lot 4 (Tbilisi Airport to Lochini) and lot 5 (Lochini to Rustavi). The project also includes building and upgrading access and service roads.
"Georgia's location at the crossroads of Asia and Europe gives it immense potential as a regional transport hub," said ADB Country Director for Georgia Lesley Bearman Lahm. "The Tbilisi Bypass will unlock that potential by easing congestion, and improving freight reliability. Through projects like this, we are turning our Country Partnership Strategy's vision of a more connected, competitive Georgia into reality.”
The new road will save travel time for local and transit traffic while reducing vehicle operating costs and cutting emissions. It will improve reliability for freight operators, exporters, and tourism businesses, while reducing fatalities and serious injuries from road crashes.
The project will improve the efficiency of road transport along Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) corridor 2—a key trade route connecting Central Asia to Europe—helping Georgia attract investment and integrate with regional and global markets.
ADB has helped the government carry out due diligence on the project’s technical, economic, financial, environmental, and social viability. The loan builds on over $2.3 billion of previous ADB support for Georgia's road network, including sections of the East-West Highway, the Kobuleti and Batumi bypasses, the Kvesheti–Kobi highway, and the Batumi–Sarpi road.
ADB has supported Georgia since 2007 and is one of the country’s largest multilateral development partners with approximately $6 billion in cumulative loans, grants, and technical assistance. ADB’s five-year country partnership strategy with Georgia aims to help the nation develop into a green and inclusive regional gateway through public and private sector investments, policy reforms, capacity building, resilient infrastructure, and regional integration.
ADB is a leading multilateral development bank supporting sustainable, inclusive, and resilient growth across Asia and the Pacific. Working with its members and partners to solve complex challenges together, ADB harnesses innovative financial tools and strategic partnerships to transform lives, build quality infrastructure, and safeguard our planet. Founded in 1966, ADB is owned by 69 members—50 from the region.
