The deadline for the completion of rehabilitation works on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi, on the section between Chovelidze Street and Freedom Square, has been extended by 30 days, the news outlet Publika reports. Earlier, in early September, Mayor Kakha Kaladze stated that there was no reason to prolong the timeframe.
According to amendments made to the municipal contracts with the company Smart Solutions, the works across three designated sections are now scheduled for completion by November 30, 2026.
Unforeseen circumstances, the need to adjust engineering designs and increase the scope of work, concurrent operations by utility companies, and adverse weather conditions were cited as reasons for the extension.
The agreements point out that, according to data from the National Environmental Agency, 29 rainy days were recorded between August 1 and October 26, 2026. The documents note that precipitation not only disrupted operations during active rainfall, but also hindered the pace of repairs in the following days.
In addition, the document cites unanticipated challenges: specifically, a number of issues surfaced during execution that necessitated changes to the original design solutions and an expansion in the volume of required work.
Furthermore, according to the document, numerous utility companies were carrying out (and some continue to carry out) the rehabilitation of network infrastructure on the site, preventing the contractor from conducting comprehensive, uninterrupted operations.
The works on Rustaveli are being carried out by Smart Solutions LLC. Tbilisi City Hall signed three contracts with the contractor covering different sections of the capital’s central thoroughfare:
- from Chovelidze Street to the Merani shopping center;
- from Merani to Besiki Street;
- from Besiki Street to Freedom Square.
Under the initial agreements, the main phase of the project commenced on July 28 and was scheduled for completion within 100 days.
Under the amendments, the execution period has been increased from 100 to 130 calendar days. The new completion date for all three sections is set for November 30, 2026.
At the same time, the company was instructed to extend the validity of its contract performance guarantee and submit the updated document by November 9, 2026.
The guarantee must remain valid until January 29, 2027. The project documentation emphasizes that failure to meet this requirement entitles City Hall to unilaterally terminate the contract.
Taking the adjustments into account, the overall validity period of the contracts now runs until February 28, 2030.
Publika notes that Tbilisi City Hall has already fined Smart Solutions on six separate occasions. All the recent penalties stem from missed deadlines on specific work stages identified by the municipal monitoring service. According to the penalty notice, works scheduled for completion by September 20 remained unfinished as of October 22, while tasks due by October 10 were still not completed as of October 23.
The contractor had previously been issued 12 fines for failing to maintain a continuous, round-the-clock work schedule. The latest penalties were levied directly for missed project delivery deadlines, which in several cases have reached an entire month.