Russian President Vladimir Putin marked the opening of a new stretch on the M-12 highway that links Moscow with Arzamas during a formal ceremony in the Nizhny Novgorod region. The event was reported by TASS and covered as a milestone in regional transport development.
In response to a request to commence traffic, Putin affirmed with a succinct statement, saying, “I allow it. Let’s go”, as officials prepared to initiate the movement along the newly finished route.
During the celebration on the construction site, the president joined the builders in a moment of applause on stage. The ceremony drew high-level attendance, including Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin, Transport Minister Vitaly Savelyev, Moscow Region Governor Andrey Vorobyov, and Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, all of whom participated in the formal proceedings and exchanged remarks about the project’s significance.
The M-12, known as the Vostok segment, stretches 415 kilometers from Moscow to Arzamas and constitutes a first category of highway. This newly opened section integrates four regions, extending beyond the capital to Moscow, Vladimir, and Nizhny Novgorod regions, thereby enhancing regional connectivity and freight and passenger transportation options across central Russia.
Looking ahead, Moscow city officials and regional leaders announced that September 9, a day marked by the City Day celebrations, would feature the inauguration of several additional transport projects in the capital. The Kremlin outlined plans to begin passenger train operations on the MCD-4 line, as well as improvements to Bagration Boulevard and the southern segment of the Moscow Ring Road, extending from the Entuziastov Highway to the 32nd kilometer mark of the ring road system, signaling a broader push to augment urban mobility.
Reports from state channels indicated that President Putin previously signaled approval for continuing the extension of the M12 Moscow-Kazan highway, underscoring a strategic emphasis on expanding highway capacity and regional integration to support economic activity and population movement across the region. The updates reflect ongoing government focus on transport infrastructure as a conduit for development and cohesion among neighboring regions.