After the heavy demands on fuel stations along the M-12 Vostok highway during the New Year period, plans to accelerate the construction of new fueling amenities are moving forward. This information came from the state company Avtodor, relayed to socialbites.ca. The officials noted that the Moscow–Kazan route has studied the M-11 experience, where queues formed at gas stations even on holidays, prompting a proactive approach to prevent repeats on M-12.
Currently, the M-12 Vostok corridor features 18 multifunctional zones (MFZ) and 4 container gas stations. In total, 32 MFZs are expected to be established. Construction and installation work at the under-construction MFZs will be accelerated to address peak demand observed at existing petrol stations during the New Year holidays, according to Avtodor.
During the holiday period, queues were noted at fuel points situated near the highway’s midpoint in the Murom and Arzamas regions (313 km and 421 km) and at stations at the Moscow entrance (53 km).
Avtodor explained that the peak load stemmed from the new station teams not yet fully optimizing their processes, combined with some drivers leaving their vehicles at the pump while awaiting additional services. This behavior contributed to rapid queue growth. The recommended pattern for minimizing congestion is to move a vehicle to the parking area immediately after refueling and return to the station building for any extra services, Avtodor advised.
In its ongoing infrastructure planning for the M-12, Avtodor shifted its operations from Moscow to St. Petersburg to avoid repeating past shortages of gas stations, and the agency noted that lessons from the M-11 corridor were incorporated into the M-12 development plan.
Officials also pointed out that the M-11 experience was not as favorable, and prior instances were taken into account. Avtodor stated that, at present, the M-11 system operates with a comparable number of gas stations to the M-12 corridor, reflecting similar demand patterns and service expectations.
Recently, media reports indicated traffic delays on certain segments of the M-12 federal highway due to fuel-station queues. Traffic along the Moscow–Kazan route was reported to have fully resumed by late December 2023. The route spans 810 km and passes through five regions: Moscow, Vladimir, Nizhny Novgorod, the Chuvash Republic, and the Republic of Tatarstan. In November 2023, government approvals extended the highway toward Yekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk, and Tyumen, broadening the corridor beyond its initial scope.
Residents in Moscow observed congested conditions near the highway during Christmas Eve, signaling continued attention to fuel availability and station efficiency as the network expands.