President Ilham Aliyev inspects progress of construction of Ahmadbayli-Fuzuli-Shusha highway [PHOTOS/VIDEO]

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev inspected the ongoing construction of the Ahmadbeyli-Fuzuli-Shusha highway and participated in the opening of the first tunnel on this road, Azernews reports.

Chairman of the Board of the State Agency of Azerbaijan Automobile Roads Saleh Mammadov briefed the head of state on the progress of construction. The existing road has a length of 101 kilometers, while the new road is 81.7 kilometers long, representing a reduction of 19.3 kilometers. This road has 4 to 6 lanes. The construction involves 194 culverts of varying diameters, 38 underground passages, 11 bridges, 7 tunnels, and 9 viaducts. The total lengths are 1,557 meters for bridges, 1,965 meters for viaducts, and approximately 6,450 meters for tunnels in one direction.

Out of the seven planned tunnels, with a combined total length of 12.7 kilometers (for both directions), drilling work has already been completed on six tunnels. The Ahmadbeyli-Fuzuli-Shusha highway starts from the Hajigabul-Horadiz-Agband-Zangezur corridor highway, connecting the liberated districts of Fuzuli, Khojavand, Khojaly, and Shusha.

President Ilham Aliyev participated in the opening of the first tunnel, which has a total length of 6,747 meters.

President Ilham Aliyev posed for photographs together with the workers.

Afterward, the President inspected the entrance and exit sections of the fourth tunnel on the Ahmadbeyli-Fuzuli-Shusha highway.

The left side of this tunnel, located at the 73.7-kilometer mark, is 679.8 meters long, while the right side is 680.6 meters long. Drilling has been completed, and the interior works are underway.