Artvin landslide risks threaten Black Sea Coastal Road

A 30-kilometer stretch of the Black Sea Coastal Road between Arhavi and Sarp in Artvin, Turkey, is facing significant safety risks due to frequent landslides and rockfalls. This route serves as a vital corridor for international transportation toward the Georgian border.

Recent incidents have resulted in fatalities and property damage. In December 2024, a landslide in the Kıyıcık area of Arhavi killed four people after a 100,000-ton mass of earth and rock covered the road. Other incidents in Hopa and Kemalpaşa have caused deaths, injuries, and damage to heavy vehicles.

Prof. Dr. Hakan Ersoy of the Karadeniz Technical University Landslide Application and Research Center has called for a holistic investigation of the route. He noted that within the last five to six years, there have been at least six serious incidents on this stretch, three of which were fatal. Ersoy warned that human-made measures may be unable to prevent the impact of rock blocks exceeding 500 tons.