Russia plans major road upgrades

Plans are in hand for major upgrades to Russia’s road network. Russian Highways (3974 Avtodor) aims to construct 958km of roads, as well as to reconstruct 963km of road and improve 700km of road bed by 2019. The 684km M11 highway linking Moscow with St Petersburg is the top-priority. A 72km bypass road will be built in the Tver region. In total, Avtodor says it will invest US$45.3 billion in building tolled roads in Russia by 2019. Avtodor completed work on the 25km M-4 highway in December 2011. Meanwhile a tender is being opened by the Moscow Capital Construction Department for a road in the South of the city from Podolskikh Kursantov Street to Moscow Ring Road. The Russian Government will invest $1.94 billion in the Novosibirsk Eastern Bypass. Construction will commence in 2012 and will be carried out in three stages.