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Road linking Russia, Georgia across Great Caucasus closed due to snowstorms

Heavy snowfall and the risk of avalanches impedes the resumption traffic on another turnpike crossing the mountains, the Transkam

VLADIKAVKAZ, January 16 (Itar-Tass) — Georgian Military Road, a historic route linking Russia and Georgia across the Great Caucasus Mountains is closed due to snowstorms and high risks of a descent of snow avalanches, a spokeswoman for the Emergency Situations Ministry of Russia’s region of North Ossetia told Itar-Tass.

“In connection with the heavy snowfall, it’s impossible to ensure the safety of traffic on the Georgian Military Road and that’s why a decision has been taken ban provisionally the passage of cars between the city of Vladikavkaz and the village of Lars in both directions,” the ministry’s press secretary Yulia Starchenko said.

Heavy snowfall and the risk of avalanches impedes the resumption traffic on another turnpike crossing the mountains, the Transkam, which the authorities closed temporarily Sunday.

Poor visibility caused by the unending atmospheric precipitation does not make it possible for the avalanche-prevention service to start bombing massive concentrations of snow at the roadside mountain slopes.

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