Russian President Vladimir Putin is counting on an increase in the pace of road construction in Russia, he said in an interview on Thursday with workers who were building the Tavrida highway in Crimea, TASS reported.
“I hope that it will not be maintained, I hope that it will be more than it is now,” President Putin said, while answering a question from one of the workers whether the current pace of road construction in the country will remain in place.
President Putin noted that “the plans are to increase the pace of road construction.” “You know, that the road workers know this: where there is a road, there is life, there is an economy, “social aspects” develop. But if there is no road – there is nothing,” he said. According to the President, one of the priority tasks of the state is the development of roads and railways, ports and airports.
Russia’s Transport Minister Evgeny Dietrich, who also participated in the conversation with the builders, thanked the President for supporting the law, which “will make it possible to work out all the processes at the same time,” to speed up preparatory procedures for the implementation of infrastructure projects, including road projects. In addition, in 2020 the regions will receive an additional 100 bln rubles to speed up road construction, and this decision can potentially be extended in subsequent years, Dietrich added. He indicated that these funds will allow for accelerated road construction every year.
“In general, we are increasing the volumes and rates of [construction] under the Safe Roads national project, they are growing from year to year. Today there are all the prerequisites in place to go on and build,” Dietrich said.
At the end of this conversation, President Putin was offered to give an official start to traffic flow on new sections of the Tavrida highway. “Yes, of course, with pleasure,” President Putin replied. After that, several Kamaz trucks drove along the highway, launching the use of the road.
