Russia Expands M-12 Highway Funding to Fast-Track Corridor from St. Petersburg to Yekaterinburg
A government order authorizing an additional 28 billion rubles to advance the M-12 highway project has been signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. This move signals that various sections of the route can enter service sooner, according to the official portal of the national government. In the Vladimir region specifically, 26 kilometers of new roadway are slated to become operational in the near term. [Citation: Government of Russia]
The new funding is also expected to create a financial reserve aimed at accelerating project implementation in 2023. The source of these funds is reported to be the government reserve fund, underscoring the priority placed on reducing travel times and improving regional connectivity. [Citation: Government of Russia]
PM Mishustin highlighted the highway’s potential to dramatically shorten travel between major cities. He stated that the M-12 will allow motorists to cover more than 2000 kilometers from St. Petersburg to Yekaterinburg without encountering a single traffic signal, a claim reflecting the project’s emphasis on continuous-flow travel and automated management. [Citation: Government of Russia]
The M-12 highway forms a key element of the federal project titled Construction of Highways of the International Transport Corridor Europe Western China. It is designed to enable rapid, efficient communication among the regions of Moscow, Vladimir, Sverdlovsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Tyumen and Chelyabinsk, as well as the republics of Tatarstan and Chuvashia. In late 2022, 49 kilometers of the route within the Moscow and Vladimir regions were scheduled for pilot operation, illustrating the staged rollout planned for the corridor. [Citation: Government of Russia]
- Additionally, 18.5 billion rubles were allocated to the reconstruction of existing federal highways to bolster safety and capacity across the network. [Citation: Government of Russia]
- Drive visibility and consumer access are expanding as the project adopts broader digital broadcasting platforms and improved media channels for travelers to plan routes. [Citation: Government of Russia]
Photographic credit: Sergey Krasnoukhov / TASS