Russia has built 3,700 kilometres of high-speed roads in five years — Marat Khusnullin

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Transport accessibility directly affects where people choose to live and how easily they can reach work, school and their loved ones. The Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Marat Khusnullin, discussed the development of high-speed and regional roads, rail services and comprehensive improvements to quality of life at the meeting "Motherland Is People. Quality Housing and Transport Infrastructure", held on 26 August at the National Centre RUSSIA as part of the project "What Does the Motherland Begin With?".

"Transport accessibility is one of the most important factors affecting where people live. Today, we are taking a comprehensive approach to roads and major infrastructure projects," noted Marat Khusnullin.

According to him, 3,700 kilometres of high-speed roads have been built in Russia over the past five years. These are well-lit motorways without traffic lights, equipped with interchanges and flyovers, where vehicles can travel at more than 110 kilometres per hour.

One of the key priorities remains the development of the M-12 Vostok Motorway, which forms part of the "Russia" route from Saint Petersburg to Vladivostok. As the Deputy Prime Minister explained, after the motorway running parallel to the M-7 opened, traffic on the existing road fell by only 5%, while the new motorway generated strong demand of its own. Millions of vehicles have already travelled along the M-12, while freight traffic amounts to 70–80 million tonnes a year.

"This year, we are extending it and will open the route to Tyumen. This means that we will have a complete four-lane, illuminated motorway from Saint Petersburg to Tyumen. We will then continue moving eastwards," emphasised Marat Khusnullin.

Construction of bypasses around major cities will also continue. Bypass projects around Tyumen and Omsk are already under way.

Another key priority is the "North — South" International Transport Corridor, which connects Saint Petersburg with the Black and Caspian Seas. Today, Marat Khusnullin noted, it is already possible to travel from Saint Petersburg to Sevastopol on a high-quality high-speed road. Development of a branch of the "Europe — Western China" International Transport Corridor also continues: from the Chuvash Republic through the Republic of Tatarstan to the Orenburg Region, roads are being widened to four lanes wherever traffic volumes require it.

Particular attention is being paid to regional and intermunicipal roads. According to the Deputy Prime Minister, the proportion of such roads brought up to standard has reached 58% in recent years. However, the figures vary between regions: in some, they have already reached 85%, while in others they remain below 50%. Another important objective, in Marat Khusnullin's view, concerns roads within settlements: their quality must be improved by at least 30%.

This work forms part of a broader programme to develop anchor settlements. A total of 2,160 such settlements have been identified across the country, ranging from major cities to small historic villages and towns. The programme aims to improve quality of life in these communities by 30% across 16 key indicators. In total, it includes 50,000 measures.

Developing the transport framework involves more than building roads. The Deputy Prime Minister emphasised the need to integrate all modes of transport, including making greater use of railways for passenger services. He cited the Central Transport Hub, recognised as one of the best in the world, as an example. Following the first stage, which connected Moscow and the Moscow Region, rail services continue to expand towards cities in the Central Federal District.

"Our task is to make maximum use of existing railways for passenger services in communities. Of course, alongside roads and railways, air travel and the development of river transport are also important. These are critical issues that still require extensive further work," noted Marat Khusnullin.

"Motherland Is People" is part of the National Centre RUSSIA's original project "What Does the Motherland Begin With?". The series consists of several stages involving representatives of the Government of the Russian Federation, heads of federal executive bodies, heads of Russian regions and opinion leaders.