Road access through mountain passes in Dagestan has been restored.

Workers have cleared the roads through the Kharib and Butsrakh passes, which were closed to traffic in late February after a snowfall.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," on February 28, due to snowfall, traffic was closed on two national roads through the Kharib and Butsrakh passes. Clearing will begin after the weather improves, Dagestanavtodor stated.

The 46-55 km section of the Khasavyurt-Tlokh regional road in the Gumbetovsky district has been cleared, Dagestanavtodor reported on its Telegram channel on the evening of March 3. "Traffic has been restored. […] There are no closed sections of roads under the jurisdiction of the State Public Institution Dagestanavtodor," the post stated.

The section of this road in the Kazbekovsky district was cleared of snow earlier that day. "The Khasavyurt-Tlokh road, between km 42 and km 46 (Kharib Pass), is now open. Clearing the road to its full width is ongoing. One piece of equipment, a DT-75 bulldozer, is being used," the department reported.

The road through the Butsrakh Pass was opened on March 2. "In the Gumbetovsky district, the Mekhelta-Gagatli road has been cleared between km 10 and km 18. Traffic has been restored to normal. As of 7:00 PM on March 2, 2026, the Khasavyurt-Tlokh (Kharib Pass) road remains closed between km 42 and km 46 in the Kazbekovsky district and km 46 and km 55 in the Gumbetovsky district," Dagestanavtodor reported that day.

In turn, the Gumbetovsky district administration stated on March 3 that traffic had resumed "on the fourth day."

Snowdrifts accumulated on the roads by the storm had to be removed repeatedly.

"Roads through these sections were closed on February 28 due to heavy snowfall. Snowfall. Today, March 3, 2026, employees of the Gumbetovsky branch of JSC "RSU" (Repair and Construction Department) cleared these roads. [...] Malachi Surkhaev, Director of the Gumbetovsky branch of JSC "RSU," reported that the high snowdrifts accumulated on the roads by the storm had to be removed repeatedly. Difficulties also arose in unblocking the villages of Tsilitl, Tsundi-Shabduh, and Ichichali," the administration's Telegram channel reported.

As a reminder, in May 2023, more than 20 tourists were stranded in the mountains because the Kharibsky Pass was closed due to snowfall. Local residents came to the tourists' aid and later provided them with overnight accommodation.

Residents of Dagestan's mountain villages have also repeatedly encountered transportation problems due to inclement weather. For example, in early February 2026, roads in the Tsuntinsky District were blocked by snow after avalanches, and local residents had to carry the body of a deceased person several kilometers for burial in his home village.

On March 25, 2025, an avalanche hit a road in the Tsuntinsky District. A temporary passage was established, but the next day, another avalanche occurred in the same area. Local residents were forced to help repair power lines after sleet brought down wires.

In February 2023, residents of the village of Khutrakh in the Tsuntinsky District were forced to carry a woman in need of urgent medical attention for two kilometers through snowdrifts. Due to the snowfall, the roads were covered in a thick layer of snow, preventing ambulances from reaching the area.