Main Road to Three Armenian Villages in Poor Condition; State ‘Does Not Have Means’ to Repair It

An approximately 9-kilometer road which originates from the Yerevan-Gyumri highway and leads to the villages of Hayrenyats, Haykasar and Tufashen is in rather poor condition and has not been repaired since 1982. 

In an interview with Epress.am Tufashen village head Artak Yegoryan said the road has become so bad that taxi drivers, ambulances refuse to enter the village: “It’s 7kms from Artik to our village, and taxi drivers used to ask AMD 700 for the ride. Now, they won’t even take us for AMD 2000. They say it’s not worth damaging their cars.”

The communities, as stated by Hayrenyats village head Gevorg Martirosyan, try as best as they can to patch the holes; however, it’s of little help since the road needs paving. Last year, according to Martirosyan, the regional administration promised the road would be repaired with the assistance of the European Union, within the framework of the community enlargement project.

Tufashen village head Yegoryan said, however, that all of the communities are against the enlargement: “If they want to build the road so that we vote for the enlargement, then they better not do it, and leave us isolated. That’s what the people think…all of them.”

The residents, he said, have raised the issue multiple times with the Shirak administration and the government: “Last year, the three of us – village heads – appealed to Serzh Sargsyan. We were told in response ‘there are not enough means’.”

Hayrenyats villagers once again raised the issue on October 11 with Shirak governor Feliks Tsolakyan who had arrived in the village to take part in a church opening ceremony. As reported by Aravot.am, the governor first told the residents it was no day to complain, and then promised the road would be repaired within two months.