Traffic chaos at Upper Lars: Armenian trucks face lengthy delays

The backlog of trucks at the Upper Lars checkpoint, the only land route connecting Armenia with Russia through Georgia, continues to grow, with over 1,000 Armenian trucks waiting to pass through the Russian-Georgian border.

According to the Centre for Traffic Management of North Ossetia, the increasing number of vehicles in the electronic queue is causing significant congestion, Caliber.Az reports, citing Armenian media sources.

The latest data reveals that there are 3,608 trucks currently registered in the queue at Upper Lars, with 1,057 of them being Armenian vehicles.

This delay highlights the ongoing challenges faced by transporters, as the Gudauri-Kobi section of the Mtskheta-Stepantsminda-Lars motorway remains open to all types of vehicles. However, adverse weather conditions and reverse traffic flow on various sections of the road have led to persistent congestion.

On average, around 150 Armenian trucks pass through Verkhny Lars daily, making it a crucial passage for goods between Armenia, Russia, and Georgia.

The Georgian Military Road, which is of critical importance for both countries, remains the only functioning land route for transporting goods between Armenia and Russia. The ongoing closure of Upper Lars is having a significant impact on businesses that rely on the flow of goods through this key border crossing.

By Tamilla Hasanova