Roads in Azerbaijan are the main transport network in Azerbaijan. With the railway network still undergoing modernization and not covering the entire country, especially mountainous areas and other areas with difficult topography, the road system is the most important form of transport in the country. Its role is important both with national, and as an important transit country, with international traffic.

Road Map of Azerbaijan
Road signs in Azerbaijan

Overview

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Azerbaijan is an important country for international transit. The total length of the Azerbaijani road network is about 29,000 km, serving domestic cargo traffic and connecting to international highways. Because Azerbaijan's railway network is inadequate, roads provide the most important form of transport in the country. Highways are mostly in fair condition, but do not meet international standards[clarification needed] for transit traffic. Smaller main and rural roads are in poor condition. All types of roads are undergoing rapid modernization with rehabilitation and extensions. For every 1,000 km2 of the national territory, there is 334 km of roads. In 2018, the Global Competitiveness Index ranked Azerbaijan 36th out of 137 countries for the quality (condition and extensiveness) of its road infrastructure.[1]

History

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The first modern paved roads in Azerbaijan were built in the 19th century when it was part of the Russian Empire.

Road classification

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Motorways

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M2 Azerbaijan

The most important class of highways is motorways. They are designated with the letter M.[2]

Azerbaijan has recently developed a network of multi-lane motorways, which are steadily being expanded. Especially around Baku, some of these roads are built to controlled-access highway standards. Most motorways have six lanes, whereas some in and near Baku have up to eight. In the cities, the motorways are illuminated.

Sign Number Route Length International numbers
  M1 BakuAbşeronSumqayıtXızıSiyəzənŞabranQubaQusarXaçmaz – Russia 203 km  
  M2 BakuTovuzGeorgia 507 km  
  M3 ƏlətSalyanLənkəranAstaraIran (Astara) 211 km  
  M4 BakuShamakhiAgsuGoychayAgdash 253 km
  M5 YevlakhShakiZaqatalaBalakən 184 km
  M6 HajiqabulŞirvanBəhramtəpəHoradizZəngilanArmenia (closed) 290 km  
  M7 NakhchivanBabəkKəngərliŞərurSədərəkTurkey 081 km  
  M8 CulfaOrdubadArmenia (closed) 089 km  
Reference:[2]

Highways

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Fuzuli–Shusha highway
 

65 other highways are a level below M-level roads and connect main highways to communities. These highways are designated with the letter R. The highway network is four lanes wide, two in each direction. Like motorways, they are illuminated in the cities, but less frequently in towns. In Azerbaijan, highway signs are blue and the names of locations are printed in capital letters. The main highways in the country are:

Sign Number Route Length
  R1 QəndobXaçmazXudatYalamaRussia   European route E119 088 km
  R2 GiləziXızı 031 km
  R3 QubaQusar 012 km
  R4 QubaXaçmaz 022 km
  R5 QusarXudat 029 km
  R6 Hacı ZeynalabdinSahil 040 km
  R7 Hacı ZeynalabdinSumqayıt 018 km
  R8 Muğanlıİsmayıllı 040 km
  R9 QaraməryəmİsmayıllıŞəkiOğuz 158 km
  R10 QaraməryəmMüsüslü 022 km
  R11 AğsuKürdəmirİmişliBəhramtəpə 113 km
  R12 GöyçayBərgüşad 018 km
  R13 GöyçayUcar 020 km
  R14 AğdaşLəki 010 km
  R15 AğdaşZarağan 045 km
  R16 QorağanQaxZaqatala 043 km
  R17 XaldanMingəçevir 013 km
  R18 MingəçevirMingəçevir Hydro Power PlantBəhramtəpə 166 km
  R19 GanjaKəlbəcərLaçın 200 km
  R20 GanjaDaşkəsən 038 km
  R21 GanjaSamux 008 km
  R22 ŞəmkirGədəbəy 045 km
  R23 QazaxUzuntalaArmenia (closed) 014 km
  R24 AğstafaPoyluGeorgia ( ) 054 km
  R25 GoranboyNaftalan 018 km
  R26 GoranboyTərtər 035 km
  R27 TərtərHindarx 041 km
  R28 YevlaxXocalıLaçınXankəndiŞuşa 154 km
  R29 BərdəİstisuKəlbəcər 164 km
  R30 XankəndiXocavənd 042 km
  R31 ShushaFuzuli 053 km
  R32 UcarZərdabAğcabədi 076 km
  R33 AğdamHindarxAğcabədi 048 km
  R34 AğdamAğdərə 026 km
  R35 AghdamFuzuliHoradizXocavənd 094 km
  R36 LachinHəkəri 083 km
  R37 LachinZabuxArmenia (closed) 023 km
  R38 QubadlıXanlıq 016 km
  R39 HəkəriZəngilan 023 km
  R40 FuzuliCəbrayilMahmudlu 046 km
  R41 Yuxarı Qarabağ KanalıBeyləqanDaşburun 032 km
  R42 BəhramtəpəBiləsuvar 062 km
  R43 BiləsuvarIran   European route E119 019 km
  R44 HacıqabulShirvan 011 km
  R45 ŞirvanNoxudluSalyan 043 km
  R46 SalyanNeftçala 040 km
  R47 MasallıYardımlı 053 km
  R48 LankaranLerik 055 km
  R49 NakhchivanŞahbuzArmenia (closed) 065 km
  R50 M2 (371 km) – Ganja International Airport 011 km
  R51 M2 (336 km) – Ganja 008 km
  R52 M2 (317 km) – Train station Kürəkçay 005 km
  R53 M2 (376 km) – Train station Alabaşlı 008 km
  R54 M2 (70 km) – Train station Ələt 005 km
  R55 M3 (220 km) – Train station Masallı 005 km
  R56 M5 (17 km) – Kərimli 031 km
  R57 M5 (46 km) – Şəki 012 km
  R58 M5 (128 km) – Train station Zaqatala 009 km
  R59 M5 (150 km) – Train station Balakən 002 km
  R60 M6 (94 km) – İmişli 007 km
  R61 M6 (250 km) – Zəngilan 011 km
  R62 M7 (58 km) – Şərur 004 km
  R63 M7 (80 km) – Sədərək - Turkey   State road D.080 (Turkey) 008 km
  R64 M8 (3 km) – Babək 003 km
  R65 M8 (44 km) – Culfa 002 km
  R66 M8 (75 km) – Train station Ordubad 005 km
Reference:[2]

Roads of local importance

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Below R-level roads, roads of local importance connect M- and R-level roads to settlements. They are designated with Y for yerli (local). The road numbers are named in the format "Y-##-##", where # stands for a digit. The first two digits follow the same digits allocated to each district for license plates. The second pair of digits is assigned from 01 upwards in each district. Cities of republican significance[clarification needed] do not have their individual codes, as there are no local roads, only republican, regional, and municipal.[3]

References

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  1. ^ "Quality of roads". World Economic Forum. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  2. ^ a b c "Azərbaycan Respublikasının respublika əhəmiyyətli avtomobil yollarının siyahısının təsdiq edilməsi haqqında" [On approval of the list of roads of republican significance of the Republic of Azerbaijan] (in Azerbaijani). (Archive)
  3. ^ "Yerli əhəmiyyətli avtomobil yollarının siyahısı" [On approval of the list of roads of republican significance of the Republic of Azerbaijan] (PDF). (Archive)

  This article incorporates public domain material from The World Factbook. CIA.

See also

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