The Georgian S9 route (
Georgian: საერთაშორისო მნიშვნელობის გზა ს9, ''Saertashoriso mnishvnelobis gza S9'', road of international importance), also known as
Tbilisi
Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Kura River with a population of approximately 1.5 million p ...
Bypass, is a "road of international importance" within the Georgian road network with a length of and runs in a wide curve around the East side of Tbilisi between the
S1 Highway near
Mtskheta
Mtskheta ( ka, მცხეთა, tr ) is a city in Mtskheta-Mtianeti province of Georgia. It is one of the oldest cities in Georgia as well as one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the World. Itis located approximately north of ...
) to the
S4 Highway near
Rustavi
Rustavi ( ka, რუსთავი ) is a city in the southeast of Georgia, in the region of Kvemo Kartli and southeast of capital Tbilisi. It has a population of 130,100 (2021), making it the fourth most populous city in Georgia. Its economy is ...
. The bypass intersects with the
S5 "Kakheti Highway" near the
Tbilisi International Airport
Shota Rustaveli Tbilisi International Airport ( ka, თბილისის შოთა რუსთაველის სახელობის საერთაშორისო აეროპორტი) , formerly ''Novo Alexeyevka In ...
and is part of the European
E60 and Asian
AH5
Asian Highway 5 (AH5) is an east-west route of the Asian Highway Network, running 10,380 km (6,450 miles) from Shanghai, China via Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia to the border between Turkey and B ...
and
AH81
Asian Highway 81 (AH81) is a road in the Asian Highway Network running 1143 km (714 miles) from Larsi, Georgia to Baku, Azerbaijan, with ferry connection to Aktau, Kazakhstan. The route is as follows: Georgia
* S3 Highway: Larsi - Natakhtari
* ...
routes. Transit traffic is mandated to take the bypass around Tbilisi.
The bypass is entirely two lane and has a limited number of junctions, some of which have (partial) grade separation, although the Mtskheta end of the bypass passes through residential area. The northern terminus is located in the
Mtskheta-Mtianeti
Mtskheta-Mtianeti ( ka, მცხეთა-მთიანეთი, literally "Mtskheta-Mountain Area") is a region ( Mkhare) in eastern Georgia comprising the town of Mtskheta, which serves as a regional capital, together with its district and t ...
region, while the northern part of the bypass is in the Tbilisi capital region and most of the bypass is located in the
Kvemo Kartli
Kvemo Kartli ( ka, ქვემო ქართლი, az, Aşağı Kartli) or "Lower Kartli", is a historic province and current administrative region ( mkhare) in southeastern Georgia. The city of Rustavi is the regional capital.
Location
Kv ...
region.
Background
The S9 Tbilisi Bypass was commissioned in 1996, when the Georgian road numbering system was revised to replace its old Soviet system.
Future
Feasibility and design studies into the upgrade of the S9 Tbilisi Bypass to four lane motorway standards have been finalized in 2020. Financed by the
Asian Development Bank
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a regional development bank established on 19 December 1966, which is headquartered in the Ortigas Center located in the city of Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines. The bank also maintains 31 field offi ...
the studies included a northern extension via
Natakhtari
Natakhtari ( ka, ნატახტარი) is a village in the Mtskheta municipality, Mtskheta-Mtianeti region, Georgia. It is located in Eastern Georgia, on the right bank of the Aragvi river, at elevation of 510 m above sea level, 8 km north ...
to
Zhinvali
image:Jinvali, Georgia — Zhinvali Reservoir.jpg, 250px, Zhinvali reservoir
Zhinvali ( ka, ჟინვალი) is a townlet in Georgia, Dusheti Municipality (Mtskheta-Mtianeti region), on river Aragvi.
It has one of the largest hydroelectric p ...
(parallel to the current
S3 highway) on the left bank of the
Aragvi
The Aragvi ( ka, არაგვი) and its basin are in Georgia on the southern slopes of the Caucasus Mountains. The river is long, and its basin covers an area of . The ground strata are mostly sandstone, slate, and limestone. The Zhi ...
river.
References
{{Georgian S-road network
Roads in Georgia (country)