EBRD funding for St Petersburg project?

The 1166 European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) intends to provide a US$277 million (€200 million) loan to the Northern Capital Highway consortium, which will build the central 11.5km section of St Petersburg’s 3639 Western High Speed Diameter (WHSD) route. The EBRD’s board of directors has said will consider the loan on 14th February 2012. The finance package is of note as Russian road projects have largely found funds from other sources so far. The Northern Capital Highway consortium estimates the total project cost at $3.41 billion (€2.46 billion), of which the investor should provide at least $2.67 billion (€1.92 billion). Meanwhile during 2012 the authorities in the Irkutsk region (Siberia) intend to invest U$159.5 million (€115.5million) for road construction, repair and upgrade work. The funds will be issued from the regional Road Fund. This represents a more than three-fold increase from the sum spent in 2011. And in the Ulyanovsk region (Volga), some $257 million (€186 million) will be allotted during 2012 for road repair and construction The biggest project in 2012 will be reconstruction of the highway Ulyanovsk-Dimitrovgrad-Samara.