# Roads in Azerbaijan

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 km$^2$ 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 |
| | 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 | 081 km |
| | M8 | Culfa – Ordubad – Armenia (closed) | 089 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 | 088 km |
| | R2 | Giləzi – Xızı | 031 km |
| | R3 | Quba – Qusar | 012 km |
| | R4 | Quba – Xaçmaz | 022 km |
| | R5 | Qusar – Xudat | 029 km |
| | R6 | Hacı Zeynalabdin – Sahil | 040 km |
| | R7 | Hacı Zeynalabdin – Sumqayıt | 018 km |
| | R8 | Muğanlı – İsmayıllı | 040 km |
| | R9 | Qaraməryəm – İsmayıllı – Şəki – Oğuz | 158 km |
| | R10 | Qaraməryəm – Müsüslü | 022 km |
| | R11 | Ağsu – Kürdəmir – İmişli – Bəhramtəpə | 113 km |
| | R12 | Göyçay – Bərgüşad | 018 km |
| | R13 | Göyçay – Ucar | 020 km |
| | R14 | Ağdaş – Ləki | 010 km |
| | R15 | Ağdaş – Zarağan | 045 km |
| | R16 | Qorağan – Qax – Zaqatala | 043 km |
| | R17 | Xaldan – Mingəçevir | 013 km |
| | R18 | Mingəçevir – Mingəçevir Hydro Power Plant – Bəhramtəpə | 166 km |
| | R19 | Ganja – Kəlbəcər – Laçın | 200 km |
| | R20 | Ganja – Daşkəsən | 038 km |
| | R21 | Ganja – Samux | 008 km |
| | R22 | Şəmkir – Gədəbəy | 045 km |
| | R23 | Qazax – Uzuntala – Armenia (closed) | 014 km |
| | R24 | Ağstafa – Poylu – Georgia | 054 km |
| | R25 | Goranboy – Naftalan | 018 km |
| | R26 | Goranboy – Tərtər | 035 km |
| | R27 | Tərtər – Hindarx | 041 km |
| | R28 | Yevlax – Xocalı – Laçın – Xankəndi – Şuşa | 154 km |
| | R29 | Bərdə – İstisu – Kəlbəcər | 164 km |
| | R30 | Xankəndi – Xocavənd | 042 km |
| | R31 | Shusha – Fuzuli | 053 km |
| | R32 | Ucar – Zərdab – Ağcabədi | 076 km |
| | R33 | Ağdam – Hindarx – Ağcabədi | 048 km |
| | R34 | Ağdam – Ağdərə | 026 km |
| | R35 | Aghdam – Fuzuli – Horadiz – Xocavənd | 094 km |
| | R36 | Lachin – Həkəri | 083 km |
| | R37 | Lachin – Zabux – Armenia (closed) | 023 km |
| | R38 | Qubadlı – Xanlıq | 016 km |
| | R39 | Həkəri – Zəngilan | 023 km |
| | R40 | Fuzuli – Cəbrayil – Mahmudlu | 046 km |
| | R41 | Yuxarı Qarabağ Kanalı – Beyləqan – Daşburun | 032 km |
| | R42 | Bəhramtəpə – Biləsuvar | 062 km |
| | R43 | Biləsuvar – Iran European route E119 | 019 km |
| | R44 | Hacıqabul – Shirvan | 011 km |
| | R45 | Şirvan – Noxudlu – Salyan | 043 km |
| | R46 | Salyan – Neftçala | 040 km |
| | R47 | Masallı – Yardımlı | 053 km |
| | R48 | Lankaran – Lerik | 055 km |
| | R49 | Nakhchivan – Şahbuz – Armenia (closed) | 065 km |
| | R50 | M2 (371 km) – Ganja International Airport | 011 km |
| | R51 | M2 (336 km) – Ganja | 008 km |
| | R52 | M2 (317 km) – Train station Kürəkçay | 005 km |
| | R53 | M2 (376 km) – Train station Alabaşlı | 008 km |
| | R54 | M2 (70 km) – Train station Ələt | 005 km |
| | R55 | M3 (220 km) – Train station Masallı | 005 km |
| | R56 | M5 (17 km) – Kərimli | 031 km |
| | R57 | M5 (46 km) – Şəki | 012 km |
| | R58 | M5 (128 km) – Train station Zaqatala | 009 km |
| | R59 | M5 (150 km) – Train station Balakən | 002 km |
| | R60 | M6 (94 km) – İmişli | 007 km |
| | R61 | M6 (250 km) – Zəngilan | 011 km |
| | R62 | M7 (58 km) – Şərur | 004 km |
| | R63 | M7 (80 km) – Sədərək - Turkey State road D.080 (Turkey) | 008 km |
| | R64 | M8 (3 km) – Babək | 003 km |
| | R65 | M8 (44 km) – Culfa | 002 km |
| | R66 | M8 (75 km) – Train station Ordubad | 005 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.