Moscow – Saint Petersburg motorway
Encyclopedia
The Moscow – Saint Petersburg motorway is a planned toll road
between Moscow
and Saint Petersburg
. The first section of the motorway is to be finished in 2013. The road will run parallel to the M10 highway. Its construction has been met with strong protest from environmentalist groups and residents' groups, mainly around the Khimki forest
.
, will run via Moscow Oblast
(90 km), Tver Oblast
(253 km), Novgorod Oblast
(233 km), Leningrad Oblast
(75 km) to its destination in Saint Petersburg
.
On April 26, 2010, Vnesheconombank and Sberbank
signed an agreement to grant "NWCC" a 29.2 billion rubles credit with the order to build the first section of the motorway.
Later, on August 26, 2010, President Medvedev suspended the construction after the environmentalists' protests against the motorway's route through the Khimki Forest
. According to his decision, additional public and expert discussions are to be carried out.
On December 14, 2010 Russian government decided to continue the construction through the Khimki forest. Speaking in St Petersburg, Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said new forest would be planted on a territory of 500ha to compensate cutting down about 100ha of the Khimki forest.
. Environmentalists say the forest is a unique ecosystem that is home to centuries-old oak trees and many species of wildlife.
Various groups have opposed the motorway's construction. Protests have been held and these have frequently been broken up by the police, involving what some have considered to be police brutality. Some protesters have also been attacked and intimidated, and two journalists – Mikhail Beketov
from Khimkinskaya Pravda and Oleg Kashin
from Kommersant
– have been beaten up in what are thought to be attacks linked to their coverage of the protests.
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
between Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
. The first section of the motorway is to be finished in 2013. The road will run parallel to the M10 highway. Its construction has been met with strong protest from environmentalist groups and residents' groups, mainly around the Khimki forest
Khimki Forest
Khimki Forest is a birch tree forest in the Russian city of Moscow covering about 1000 hectares. It is part of the so-called "Green Belt" around Moscow. An $8 billion dollar high speed road has been proposed to go through the forest to connect Moscow and Saint Petersburg. For this purpose, part of...
.
Route
Its route is parallel to the M10 highway. It will start in MoscowMoscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, will run via Moscow Oblast
Moscow Oblast
Moscow Oblast , or Podmoskovye , is a federal subject of Russia . Its area, at , is relatively small compared to other federal subjects, but it is one of the most densely populated regions in the country and, with the 2010 population of 7,092,941, is the second most populous federal subject...
(90 km), Tver Oblast
Tver Oblast
Tver Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Tver. From 1935 to 1990, it was named Kalinin Oblast after Mikhail Kalinin. Population: Tver Oblast is an area of lakes, such as Seliger and Brosno...
(253 km), Novgorod Oblast
Novgorod Oblast
Novgorod Oblast is a federal subject of Russia , located between Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Its administrative center is the city of Veliky Novgorod. Some of the oldest Russian cities, including Veliky Novgorod and Staraya Russa, are located there...
(233 km), Leningrad Oblast
Leningrad Oblast
Leningrad Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . It was established on August 1, 1927, although it was not until 1946 that the oblast's borders had been mostly settled in their present position...
(75 km) to its destination in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
.
Characteristics
- Length = about 700 km
- Average speed = 150 km/h
- Number of interchangesInterchange (road)In the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which...
= 32 - Number of overpassOverpassAn overpass is a bridge, road, railway or similar structure that crosses over another road or railway...
es = 167 - Number of bridgeBridgeA bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
s = 85 - Number of lanes = from 4 to 10
- Lane width = 3.75 m
- ShoulderShoulder (road)A hard shoulder, or simply shoulder, is a reserved area by the verge of a road or motorway. Generally it is kept clear of motor vehicle traffic...
width = 3.5 m
History
On July 27, 2009, "Severo-Zapadnaya Concessionnaya Kompaniya" (North-West Concession Company (NWCC)), a consortium comprising the VINCI company and other leaders signed a concession contract for the first section (15–58 km) of the motorway with the Federal Highway Agency of Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation (Rosavtodor), the grantor, in the presence of the Russian Minister of Transport, Mr Levitin. Total construction cost is estimated at approximately 1 billion Euros.On April 26, 2010, Vnesheconombank and Sberbank
Sberbank
Sberbank Rossii is the largest bank in Russia and Eastern Europe. The company's headquarters are in Moscow and its history goes back to Cancrin's financial reform of 1841...
signed an agreement to grant "NWCC" a 29.2 billion rubles credit with the order to build the first section of the motorway.
Later, on August 26, 2010, President Medvedev suspended the construction after the environmentalists' protests against the motorway's route through the Khimki Forest
Khimki Forest
Khimki Forest is a birch tree forest in the Russian city of Moscow covering about 1000 hectares. It is part of the so-called "Green Belt" around Moscow. An $8 billion dollar high speed road has been proposed to go through the forest to connect Moscow and Saint Petersburg. For this purpose, part of...
. According to his decision, additional public and expert discussions are to be carried out.
On December 14, 2010 Russian government decided to continue the construction through the Khimki forest. Speaking in St Petersburg, Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said new forest would be planted on a territory of 500ha to compensate cutting down about 100ha of the Khimki forest.
Construction
According to the Head of Rosavtodor, Anatoliy Chabunin, the construction was to start in October 2010 and will be finished in three years.Environmental protests
The motorway is planned to go through Khimki ForestKhimki Forest
Khimki Forest is a birch tree forest in the Russian city of Moscow covering about 1000 hectares. It is part of the so-called "Green Belt" around Moscow. An $8 billion dollar high speed road has been proposed to go through the forest to connect Moscow and Saint Petersburg. For this purpose, part of...
. Environmentalists say the forest is a unique ecosystem that is home to centuries-old oak trees and many species of wildlife.
Various groups have opposed the motorway's construction. Protests have been held and these have frequently been broken up by the police, involving what some have considered to be police brutality. Some protesters have also been attacked and intimidated, and two journalists – Mikhail Beketov
Mikhail Beketov
Mikhail Vasilyevich Beketov is a Russian journalist who came to widespread attention when he was attacked in an assault thought to be connected with his coverage of the construction of the Moscow – Saint Petersburg motorway.-Career:Beketov graduated from Moscow State University and worked on the...
from Khimkinskaya Pravda and Oleg Kashin
Oleg Kashin
Oleg Kashin is a former seaman and a prominent Russian journalist.-Career:Kashin graduated from the Baltic State Fishing Fleet Academy with a degree in sea navigation in 2001. While studying, he wrote for Komsomolskaya Pravda in Kaliningrad where he expressed rather sharp views...
from Kommersant
Kommersant
Kommersant is a commerce-oriented newspaper published in Russia. , the circulation was 131,000.- History :The newspaper was initially published in 1909, and it was closed down following the Bolshevik seizure of power and the introduction of censorship in 1917.In 1989, with the onset of press...
– have been beaten up in what are thought to be attacks linked to their coverage of the protests.