September 5, 2007 - 14:50 AMT
Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railroad construction to start early October
Construction of the Georgian and Turkish sectors of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railroad will start in early October, Azeri Transport Ministry official Sadraddin Mammadov said. He said the Georgian segment will extend for 29 km, the Turkish one - for 76 km. The building will kick off at the Georgian-Turkish border, Mammadov said.

The results of the tender are expected by the end of September. To date, 50 companies have announced their participation, APA reports.

The project of the Georgian and Turkish sectors was drawn up by Yuksel Domanic Turkish company.

The resulting document was signed by Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey in Tbilisi in February 2007. According to the agreement, Azerbaijan assigned a $200-million credit for a 25-year term to Georgia.

Georgia will build a new railway and reconstruct the old one as well as establish a maintenance point at the border.