Georgian Military Highway closed again

The Georgian Military Highway, a major route through the Caucasus between Georgia and Russia, has been closed again today at 8:00 MSK due to snowfall, the Ministry of Emergency Situations of North Ossetia reported. 

Following the recommendations of Georgia’s Darial border checkpoint, traffic on the road section Vladikavkaz-Lars was suspended due to snowfall, worsening weather conditions and the impossibility of ensuring safe passage of motor vehicles. 

"In conditions of zero visibility and the danger of avalanches, it is impossible to ensure traffic safety on the mountain sections of the route," TASS cites the agency's message. The Georgian Military Road was closed from 9 to 15 February because of bad weather. Traffic was restored for two days: during this time more than 200 vehicles passed along the road.

As the director of "Georgian Business Insight" (BPI), Irakli Lekvinadze, told Vestnik Kavkaza, "this is a very important road for Georgia, but it's not only because of the connection with Russia. It is also a popular transit route. Exporters from Armenia and Turkey use the Georgian Military Road, Russian produce also enters Armenia and other countries through the 'Upper Lars' checkpoint," the expert recalled, evaluating the daily loss to Georgia at $3.4 million.