VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
The Russian transport network is a vital component of its production infrastructure. In its activities, the state prioritises the development of the national transport network. The creation of a rapidly developing, stable and well-balanced national transport network is an essential precondition of economic development. Transport plays an increasingly greater role in conditions of economic globalization, facilitating expanded inter-state ties.
The Ministry of Transport has drafted the national Transport Strategy until 2020. The document is called on to specify the transport network's development priorities and state tasks in the sphere of transport development in line with specific socio-economic conditions. Since 2002, the national transport network had developed in accordance with the federal targeted programme "The modernisation of the Russian transport network in 2002-2010." The government prioritised the solution of such problems as territorial and structural disproportions, the insufficient level of quality and affordability of transport services for the population and the insufficient utilisation of this country's transport potential. Ways of facilitating transport safety and reducing the transport network's environmental impact have acquired particular significance in the past few years.
Over the past few years, more than 15,000 kilometres of federal and regional motor roads have been built and reconstructed. Notably, the Chita – Khabarovsk, M-4 Don, M-5 Urals and M-10 Russia motor roads have been built and reconstructed. A road bypassing St Petersburg, namely, the eastern half-ring of the local Ring Motor Road, as well as four unique uncategorised pedestrian bridges, have also been built and upgraded. Four-lane traffic has been facilitated along the entire road linking Moscow with Nizhny Novgorod.
Substantial efforts were also exerted in order to expand and modernise the air-transport infrastructure. Runways have been reconstructed at the Pulkovo, Krasnoyarsk, Khabarovsk, Blagoveshchensk, Kurgan and Cheboksary airports. Light-and-signal equipment has been replaced at the Pulkovo, Khabarovsk, Barnaul, Kurgan and Ulan-Ude airports. Aviation-safety equipment has been purchased for 53 national airports.
The railway-transport infrastructure is being actively modernised. In 2008-2011, 47 man-made structures and facilities, including the Greater Novorossiisk and Lagar-Aul tunnels, as well as bridges over the Amur, Ob, Don and Volga rivers, have been reconstructed. The new Yaiva-Solikamsk and Izvestkovaya-Chegdomyn railway lines have been commissioned. More than 400 km of railways have been electrified. High-speed passenger-train traffic has been inaugurated along the Moscow – St Petersburg, Moscow – Nizhny Novgorod and St Petersburg – Helsinki routes. Moreover, airports of the Moscow transport hub have been linked by rail with the country's capital.
In all, 723 hydro-technical facilities have been restored and repaired in the sphere of water transport and the port infrastructure. Favourable navigation conditions have been facilitated along 68,160 km of waterways in order to deliver consignments to the Far North.
Under federal targeted programmes, new seaports have been built in 2002-2010. The Ust-Luga port annually handles 31.6 million tonnes of freight. The Primorsk port's specialised petroleum terminals have an annual capacity of 108.4 million tonnes. The Varandei port's specialised petroleum terminal has an annual capacity of 12.1 million tonnes. The Prigorodnoye port's specialised petroleum terminals have an annual capacity of 19.6 million tonnes. The Olya port's freight-ferry and multi-purpose terminals have an annual capacity of 1.6 million tonnes. The St Petersburg passenger port can annually handle four million passengers and 700,000 passenger cars.
Moreover, new terminals have been built and specialised terminals modernised at the Kavkaz (Caucasus) seaport and some other regional seaports. Railway and freight-ferry facilities have been commissioned there. A new grain terminal has been commissioned at the Azov seaport. Petroleum, grain and bulk-freighter terminals have been commissioned in Tuapse. Grain, container, and petroleum terminals have been commissioned in Novorossiisk. Grain and petroleum terminals have been commissioned in Kaliningrad. Container terminals have been modernised and expanded in St Petersburg. A petroleum terminal has been commissioned in Vysotsk. An oil terminal has been commissioned in Kozmino Harbour of the Vostochny (Eastern) port. And a coal terminal has been commissioned in the Vanino port's Muchka Bay. There are plans to complete new terminals and warehouse facilities in Novorossiisk and Ust-Luga before the year is out. Besides, five river ports have been built and modernised, and the new Kochetovsky lock commissioned on the Don River.
Cruise-liner terminals are currently being expanded at Sochi seaports. Sea terminals are also being restored in order to facilitate coastal passenger traffic, and a freight transshipment sector is being built in the mouth of the Mzymta River. A ferry facility is being expanded at the Kavkaz (Caucasus) seaport. Grain, tanker and container terminals are under construction at the Olya port. A multi-purpose sea terminal is being built in Rostov-on-Don. Petroleum and container terminals are being expanded in Novorossiisk. A petroleum terminal is under construction in Tuapse. The second stage of a petroleum terminal is being built in Vostochny's Kozmino Harbour. Freight terminals are being actively expanded in the Kuril Islands.
