Transcaucasian Highway

The Transcaucasian Highway (Russian: Транскавказская автомагистраль) or TransKAM (ТрансКАМ) is a mountain highway in the South Caucasus region, connecting southern Russia and Georgia.

Geography

 

A164 highway in North Ossetia–Alania, Russia.

As the A164 highway, it crosses the Greater Caucasus mountain range through the Roki Tunnel, connecting North Ossetia–Alania and Russia with South Ossetia and Georgia. In the winter months the road is often closed due to the danger of avalanches.

In Georgia, the highway begins in Gori as S10 highway. It then crosses to Russia through the Roki Tunnel as road R297 to Alagir.

History

It was built by the Soviet Union (USSR) between 1971 and 1986, as an alternative to the older Georgian Military Road and Ossetian Military Road, to connect the USSR and the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic.

Since the breakaway of South Ossetia from Georgia in August 2008, crossing from Georgia to South Ossetia at Tskhinvali is not possible.