Route bypassing Lachin: from 21st century road to dirt road Caliber.Az’s analysis - PHOTO/VIDEO

The news about a newly built highway bypassing Lachin city has been perceived by Azerbaijan and Armenia differently. This testified to Azerbaijan’s another triumph and achievement in the liberated Karabakh region while the Armenians are still the outsiders of the region and have to observe other country’s success.

Meanwhile, such developments were not a surprise for those who closely monitor the implementation of road infrastructure projects which are implemented upon Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s instructions in the Karabakh and East Zangazur economic regions. After all, the whole Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur are now one big construction site with large-scale projects. The highway bypassing Lachin is one of them, one of many highways. What is it like and why does it cause such a feeling of envy among many Armenians?

The construction of a new highway bypassing Lachin stretching 32 kilometres was launched in July 2021.

Spokesman for the State Agency of Azerbaijan Automobile Roads Anar Najafli told Caliber.Az that the total length of the route is 32 kilometres (10 of them should pass through Armenia). The width of the carriageway (three-lane on flyovers and two-lane on other sections of the road) is 7-10.5 metres and the roadway as a whole is 12-15 metres.

He said that in accordance with the "Construction Norms and Rules", asphalt concrete pavement was laid, horizontal road markings were used, road signs and protective fences were installed. A four-arch bridge with a length of 149.5 metres and a width of 13.5 metres was built on the 22nd kilometre of the highway.

The highway was built according to high international standards.

While commenting on the opening ceremony of the highway, expert in transport issues Elmaddin Muradli said in an interview with Caliber.Az that this fact showed Azerbaijan’s strength and capabilities.

 
“It was built in a short period of time according to the most modern standards. The leadership of the State Agency of Azerbaijan Automobile Roads constantly personally monitored the construction of the highway in connection with the execution of the president’s instructions, and everything was carried out at the highest level. The Armenians will also use such a high-quality highway. There is a lot of information about it on social networks. According to this information, we built this highway for the convenience of travelling to Khankendi. The construction of the highway by Azerbaijan is an example for Armenians, showing that it is necessary to do real deeds to improve the well-being of the population rather than telling a lie, deceiving the world, spreading myths and fictions,” the expert said.

“I think that the Armenians’ outright envy, discussions in social networks were not made in vain. After all, they have not yet seen such large-scale projects in their country, that is why they wrote - “Probably half of the Azerbaijani people work at this construction site”. After all, within the North-South project, they have carried out only 5.5 per cent of the work on their territory within 10 years. All projects on intra-republican roads are partially completed due to the lack of economic opportunities while in Azerbaijan, all projects in Karabakh and East Zangazur are successfully implemented under the personal control of President Aliyev, according to the most modern standards. We will soon see an even bigger road and railway in the liberated lands, as well as the imminent opening ceremony of an international airport in the Zangilan district. This will once again show Azerbaijan’s achievements to the whole world,” he added.

In turn, while talking to us, an expert in transport issues Rauf Aghamirzoyev noted that it is wrong to consider the highway bypassing Lachin separately from the large-scale processes that are currently underway in Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur. 

“We built this highway at a high level and in a short period of time. However, I urge to thoroughly look at these processes. Thus, 855 kilometres of roads are being built, 36,177 metres of tunnels (some of them are double), and 157.5 kilometres of railways are being laid in Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur. Two airports are also under construction (one of them will open in Zangilan in September 2022, while in Lachin in 2024). One airport has already been opened in Fuzuli.

Some 60 kilometres of railways have already been built on the Horadiz-Aghband line along the Araz River to the Gumlak station. The Barda-Aghdam road is planned to be opened this year.

The Victory Road stretching 101 kilometres, the Tartar-Talish-Sugovushan road (28.5 km), and an alternative road bypassing Lachin (32 km) have already been opened within one year and nine months!

The Azerbaijani side builds everything quickly and efficiently, while the Armenians work slowly and start construction late. Armenia announced that it would build its part of the highway before March 1, 2023, first as a dirt road, then asphalt it. While comparing the scale of construction, Azerbaijan is far ahead,” Aghamirzoyev said.

Proceeding from the sixth paragraph of the joint statement dated November 9, 2020, a plan will be determined for the construction of a new route along the Lachin corridor within three years, creating a route between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia, with the further redeployment of the Russian peacekeeping contingent to protect this route. Thus, Azerbaijan ahead of schedule provided the conditions for the full implementation of this paragraph while Armenia is deliberately delaying the work. This shows that the Armenian side is unwilling to fulfil the conditions of the statement. The new highway, like the River Styx, will ruin all the assertions of the Armenian jingoistic patriots. Armenia has never even dreamed of anything like it. From the beautiful road built by Azerbaijan, the Armenians will immediately fall into the pits that will appear on the dirt road from the Armenian side after the first autumn rains. It is Armenia’s choice and it has to pay a high price for it.