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.
Overview 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 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.
History
The first modern paved roads in Azerbaijan were built in the 19th century when it was part of the Russian Empire.
Road classification Motorways
The most important class of highways is motorways. They are designated with the letter M.()
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 Baku – Abşeron – Sumqayıt – Xızı – Siyəzən – Şabran – Quba – Qusar – Xaçmaz – Russia 203 km M2 Baku – Tovuz – Georgia 507 km M3 Ələt – Salyan – Lənkəran – Astara – Iran (Astara) 211 km M4 Baku – Shamakhi – Agsu – Goychay – Agdash 253 km M5 Yevlakh – Shaki – Zaqatala – Balakən 184 km M6 Hajiqabul – Şirvan – Bəhramtəpə – Horadiz – Zəngilan – Armenia (closed) 290 km M7 Nakhchivan – Babək – Kəngərli – Şərur – Sədərək – Turkey 81 km M8 Culfa – Ordubad – Armenia (closed) 89 km Reference:
Highways
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 Qəndob – Xaçmaz – Xudat – Yalama – Russia European route E119 88 km R2 Giləzi – Xızı 31 km R3 Quba – Qusar 12 km R4 Quba – Xaçmaz 22 km R5 Qusar – Xudat 29 km R6 Hacı Zeynalabdin – Sahil 40 km R7 Hacı Zeynalabdin – Sumqayıt 18 km R8 Muğanlı – İsmayıllı 40 km R9 Qaraməryəm – İsmayıllı – Şəki – Oğuz 158 km R10 Qaraməryəm – Müsüslü 22 km R11 Ağsu – Kürdəmir – İmişli – Bəhramtəpə 113 km R12 Göyçay – Bərgüşad 18 km R13 Göyçay – Ucar 20 km R14 Ağdaş – Ləki 10 km R15 Ağdaş – Zarağan 45 km R16 Qorağan – Qax – Zaqatala 43 km R17 Xaldan – Mingəçevir 13 km R18 Mingəçevir – Mingəçevir Hydro Power Plant – Bəhramtəpə 166 km R19 Ganja – Kəlbəcər – Laçın 200 km R20 Ganja – Daşkəsən 38 km R21 Ganja – Samux 8 km R22 Şəmkir – Gədəbəy 45 km R23 Qazax – Uzuntala – Armenia (closed) 14 km R24 Ağstafa – Poylu – Georgia () 54 km R25 Goranboy – Naftalan 18 km R26 Goranboy – Tərtər 35 km R27 Tərtər – Hindarx 41 km R28 Yevlax – Xocalı – Laçın – Xankəndi – Şuşa 154 km R29 Bərdə – İstisu – Kəlbəcər 164 km R30 Xankəndi – Xocavənd 42 km R31 Shusha – Fuzuli 53 km R32 Ucar – Zərdab – Ağcabədi 76 km R33 Ağdam – Hindarx – Ağcabədi 48 km R34 Ağdam – Ağdərə 26 km R35 Aghdam – Fuzuli – Horadiz – Xocavənd 94 km R36 Lachin – Həkəri 83 km R37 Lachin – Zabux – Armenia (closed) 23 km R38 Qubadlı – Xanlıq 16 km R39 Həkəri – Zəngilan 23 km R40 Fuzuli – Cəbrayil – Mahmudlu 46 km R41 Yuxarı Qarabağ Kanalı – Beyləqan – Daşburun 32 km R42 Bəhramtəpə – Biləsuvar 62 km R43 Biləsuvar – Iran European route E119 19 km R44 Hacıqabul – Shirvan 11 km R45 Şirvan – Noxudlu – Salyan 43 km R46 Salyan – Neftçala 40 km R47 Masallı – Yardımlı 53 km R48 Lankaran – Lerik 55 km R49 Nakhchivan – Şahbuz – Armenia (closed) 65 km R50 M2 (371 km) – Ganja International Airport 11 km R51 M2 (336 km) – Ganja 8 km R52 M2 (317 km) – Train station Kürəkçay 5 km R53 M2 (376 km) – Train station Alabaşlı 8 km R54 M2 (70 km) – Train station Ələt 5 km R55 M3 (220 km) – Train station Masallı 5 km R56 M5 (17 km) – Kərimli 31 km R57 M5 (46 km) – Şəki 12 km R58 M5 (128 km) – Train station Zaqatala 9 km R59 M5 (150 km) – Train station Balakən 2 km R60 M6 (94 km) – İmişli 7 km R61 M6 (250 km) – Zəngilan 11 km R62 M7 (58 km) – Şərur 4 km R63 M7 (80 km) – Sədərək - Turkey State road D.080 (Turkey) 8 km R64 M8 (3 km) – Babək 3 km R65 M8 (44 km) – Culfa 2 km R66 M8 (75 km) – Train station Ordubad 5 km Reference:
Roads of local importance 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 do not have their individual codes, as there are no local roads, only republican, regional, and municipal.()
References
See also Roads in Georgia (country) Roads in Kazakhstan Roads in Kyrgyzstan Roads in Tajikistan