YEREVAN, MAY 5, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian president Robert Kocharian on May 4 visited Yerevan schools No 125 and 80 which are being reconstructed with funds of the Lincy Foundation under the "School Construction" program. 3.5 mln dollars has been allocated by the program on construction of a new building of school No 125 in Kanaker-Zeytun community and purchasing equipment for it. It is envisaged to complete the constructiion work in May 2008, but the work is likely to finish earlier - by late 2007. 1.3 mln dollars had been allocated for reconstruction and major repairs of the building of school No 80 in Kentron community. The construction work will be completed by January 2008, after which the furnishing of the school will start. On the whole, the Lincy Founadtion has allocated 20 mln dollars for reconstruction and major repairs of 10 schools (5 in Yerevan and 5 in marzes) under the "School Construction" program. On the same dat Robert Kocharian familiarized himself with the process of constructing the section, which connects Heratsi Street to Avetisian Street via Azatutyan Avenue (construction is done under the "Road Construction" program financed by the Lincy Foundation). The total cost of the construction is 4.5 bln drams (about 12.5 mln USD). The program head Eduard Bezoyan told reporters that construction work started in October 2006, it is envisaged to complete the first two stages in November 2007, while the section at the transport node at the Bellagio Hotel in Hertasi Street - in April or May 2008. E. Bezoyan said that 400 mln drams was saved thanks to new solutions, which allowed to construct a new tunnel behind the Bellagio Hotel. The construction will begin within the next few days. During a talk with reporters, R. Kocharian called the construction of the transport node "a mighty project" that will help ease traffic in the city center and Baghramian Avenue. He expressed satisfaction at the current state of the constrcution sector. "I said a few years ago that we will have a lack of builders - good builders are in great demand. We should strive so that in all other spheres a good specialist will have his own place and be properly paid," the president said. He noted that the average monthly salary of a builder engaged in construction of school No 125 makes 180 thousand drams (about 500 USD).

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