Map of South Ossetia with the location of the Roki tunnel
The Roki tunnel (Georgian: როკის გვირაბი, Ossetic: Ручъы тъунел) or Rokski tunnel (Russian: Рокский туннель) is a tunnel on the Transcaucasus highway (Transkam) under the Great Caucasus. It is the only road that connects North Ossetia to the Russian Federation with South Ossetia, a de facto independent republic in Georgia.
In 1984, the tunnel was completed by the Soviet authorities. The tunnel is 2,000 meters and is 3,730 meters long. The other routes between Russia and Georgia are the Kazbek-Verchni Lars on the Georgian military road and Gantiadi-Adler in Abkhazia, which, according to Georgia, is used illegally.
The tunnel has been important for the Georgian-Ossetian conflict. The Ossetian government in the south charges toll for tunnel traffic, which is one of the main sources of income for the Republic. The Georgian government has demanded that the South Ossetian side of the tunnel be under international control, for the time being without success. 42° 37′ NB, 44° 6′ OL
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