Russia invests in rural road upgrades

Russia’s road building and upgrading programme is now gathering pace. Russia's Federal Highway Agency plans to bring over 85% of federal roads into conformity with road traffic regulations.

The 2865 Federal Highway Agency has boosted construction of rural roads by establishing road funds and built over 500km in 2011. The Russian Government plans to allocate nearly US$198 million to build key roads in 2012. The Federal Highway Agency has set road upgrades as a top-priority. Under this plan road bearing capacity will be improved and the Federal Highway Agency intends to repair 8,000-9,000km/year of roads. Each federal district is establishing a federal testing centre to trial the materials and improve the performance of roads. The annual budget investments in road construction will rise from the current $23.07 billion to $32.96 billion due to the financing of road development through road funds. If fuel taxes are boosted as planned, the federal road fund will amount to $12.92 billion in 2012, $14.8 billion in 2013, and over $15.44 billion in 2014. Regional funds are being established as well and they will total some $17.45 billion by 2014. Thanks to regional road funds, the Moscow Region plans to increase investments in road construction two-fold, the Volgograd Region (South) from $33 million to $214 million, the Sverdlovsk Region (Urals) from $322 million to $404 million by 2014, the Pskov Region (North-West) from $66 million in 2012 to $115 million in 2014.