The $400m Alat-Astara highway upgrade project in Azerbaijan has run into public protests over land acquisition issues and could be halted.

The highway would have linked the city of Baku to the country’s border with Iran.

The project is being financed by $120m from the World Bank (WB), $200m from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the remainder by the country’s government.

Work on the WB on the Alat-Masalli section has already been stopped.

The ADB, which is yet to begin work on its 59km Masalli-Astara section, is now expected to go to Baku to resolve land take-over issues.