Ufa highway project to start in 2018

Construction on a new eastern highway connection to the city of Ufa should commence in 2018. The new link will connect the city, the capital of Bashkortostan which forms part of the Russian Federation, to the M-5 Ural Highway. The project is expected to cost US$694 million to construct and the work will be headed by the Turkish contractor 5095 Limak. The project was awarded as a 25 year concession package. Construction will not be without its technical challenges as the route passes through areas that are marshy, where the water table is high. The project includes a 1.2km tunnel section, a 2.5km long bridge and 14km of highway and construction may be complex given the geology.