Tusheti's Perilous Border Bridge Puts Lives at Risk

Shenako and Diklo are special places to visit with their traditional balconied Tush castle-houses. The castles house family hotels and catering facilities, but tourists should also visit the Oradori families, who still live near the border, as well as the Tushes who return to the mountains in the summer, to ensure they receive at least some benefit.

Mariam Pirashvili visited Shenako with tourists on July 5. While crossing the bridge, a water-soaked tree broke, and the driver managed to safely transport the passengers.

Mariam reports that the bridge is in an alarming condition this year. The soil supporting one of the piers has been washed away and disrupted. Locals are attempting to reinforce the deteriorated parts of the bridge by adding new planks.

"They assure us that they will address the issue next year, and then the next year… but that next year never arrives.

I called the mayor, if you understand what trouble can happen, I said and he blocked me.

I then contacted Deputy Mayor Vazha Naskidashvili and former Governor Lado Kakhoidze. Over a week has passed, and no one has yet responded," Mariam expresses her concern that the condition of the bridge could prove fatal for someone.

"When I first went up there this year, I was afraid to move. We placed the planks, and I crossed very carefully. Representatives from the Tusheti City Hall visited the mountain days later. The tourists and I showed them photos of the bridge and even sent them. From what I know, it has been deteriorating for the past four or five years; you can see the river flowing through the gaps between the planks.

Two years ago, several cars crashed there.

The boys patched the planks temporarily. Now, the villagers want to bring materials to build a house and are concerned about how to cross the bridge," says Bacho Kupatadze, a guide.

At the end of July, Shenako celebrates its village day. During this time, almost all families return to the village, and many Georgian and foreign visitors come as well. Following Shenakooba is the traditional festival of Diklo. Everyone must cross the deteriorated wooden bridge, as there is no alternative route. Beneath the bridge flows the fast and strong current of the Tusheti Alazani River. Employees of the Diklo sector of the border police and shepherds will also use this bridge.

The Shenako bridge has been in poor condition since 2017. Lado Kakhoidze, the then-representative of the Akhmet mayor in the Tusheti community, along with the people of Shenako, raised the issue of rehabilitating the Beghela bridge with the authorities. However, none of the bridges have been rebuilt.

Vazha Naskiashvili, the deputy mayor of Akhmet municipality, states that the Shenako bridge has not had problems until recently; the last heavy snowfall put it into a state of emergency.

"We built a wooden bridge in 2014, and it has lasted this long. We repair it every year. The locals did not assist us; they kept urging us to act quickly. Tomorrow, our volunteers will inspect it, fix it with local materials, and then the main rehabilitation work will begin."

On July 17, Studio Archi LLC was announced as the winner of the tender issued by the City Hall. However, this company is tasked only with preparing the design and cost accounting documentation for the rehabilitation of the Omalo sports field and the Shenako bridge, not with carrying out the restoration work. The deputy mayor assures that the bridge will be rehabilitated by the end of September.

From October, the villages of Tusheti empty out as people return to Bar for the winter. The only road connecting to Tusheti will soon be closed. From November to June, only about 30 people remain in Tusheti, which includes more than 50 villages and settlements.