New Highway Bypass Opens Between St. Petersburg and Moscow, Cutting Travel Time
The road corridor linking Russia’s two major capitals now offers a route without traffic lights or intersections with other roads. In 2024, Avtodor announced that drivers would experience a smoother journey, with a direct path designed to reduce delays and improve safety on long-distance trips. While the bypass is being rolled out in stages, the initial impact will be felt as vehicles begin using the new stretch, with plans in place to expand access to more segments over time.
With the bypass fully in place, travel time between St. Petersburg and Moscow is projected to drop from roughly six hours to about five hours. This improvement arrives as the project progresses toward its completion, including a bypass around the city of Tver. The full corridor will be opened in phases, ultimately delivering a continuous high-speed route that minimizes congestion and enhances regional connectivity. The entire program reflects a long-term investment in Russia’s road infrastructure, aimed at supporting commerce, tourism, and everyday travel for residents and visitors alike.
The first phase of the bypass around the regional center began to take shape in late 2023, connecting the R-132 Golden Ring route toward St. Petersburg. The remaining segments are scheduled for opening in 2024, with construction costs projected at 69 billion rubles. This figure aligns with typical annual regional transportation budgets in central Russia, underscoring the scale and importance of the project in shaping the country’s highway network for years to come. By design, the bypass reduces local bottlenecks and provides a direct link that improves freight movement and passenger travel across the corridor. (Attribution: Commercial)
- “Drive” can be read in Telegram. (Attribution: Commercial)
(Attribution: Commercial)
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