OREANDA-NEWS. Karelia's transport infrastructure will gain a new development impuls in the years to come, as Head of Karelia Alexander Khudilainen and Maxim Sokolov, Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation, have told the journalists upon completion of the ceremony of opening the new road section of A-121 Sortavala highway held on October, 1 in Lahdenpohja region.

Construction of the 190-km-long highway is included in the federal target program of development of the transport system of Russia (2010-2015), and approved by the Government of Russia. Modern comfortable highway will replace old asphalted and gravel sections more suitable for auto rallies, than for passenger and cargo transportation. It will extend along the territory of Ladoga lakeside in Karelia and will connect St.Petersburg to Petrozavodsk through Priozersk and Sortavala.

Drivers used to drive along the previous road section very carefully, as there were plenty of turns, and it was potentially dangerous to drivers and pedestrians. The new 10.5-kilometer road section bypasses villages of Kulikovo, Hiitola, Asilan and Tiurula. The distance to be covered by vehicles has become 7 kilometers shorter. Considering that the new modern road assumes absolutely different high-speed mode, travellers there will reach their destinations much quicker.

As Head of production department of VAD JSC in the Republic of Karelia Ivan Buzun has told to representatives of mass media, construction was launched in March, 2012, the period of construction has taken a little more than one year. The new site of the road goes through Karelian rocks. Therefore, builders had to perform lots of drilling-and-blasting operations amounting to more than 500 thousand cubic metres, over 1,5 million cubic metres of embankment was relocated. As the ground here mostly consists of clay, for the first time in Karelia the drilled pile technology of was applied at construction. Now half a kilometer of the road rests upon 11-meter piles in addition to the ground.

The new line partially repeats the historical road from Keksgolm to Kronoborg which in XVII was the Swedish royal trade route. Constructing the new object builders preserved carefully the antique architectural relics they had found. Besides, workers of the enterprise have put in order the former site of the federal road that may still be used by drivers.

During their conversation with journalists Minister of Transport of Russia Maxim Sokolov and Head of Karelia Alexander Khudilainen have mentioned that thanks to joint efforts of federal authorities, Government of the republic, and enterprises of Karelia the new road section is commissioned ahead of the schedule.

Implementation of this large-scale project will provide growth of cargo and passenger transportations in international traffic, will promote development of Syvaoro and Wartsila international automobile customs stations, capacities for extraction of natural minerals, and ecological tourism in North Ladoga lakeside.

Participants of the ceremony have also added that the new road that will connect three constituent entities of the Federation - St.-Petersburg, Leningrad region and Karelia will become one of the most popular in the Northwest of Russia.

As Minister of Transport of Russia Maxim Sokolov has told journalists, this will not be the end of support rendered to our republic in development of transport infrastructure. The next phase is construction of new road sections, it will continue towards Sortavala and Pryazha.

It is a large-scale project that are few in the country, - he said. - The contract on the site we'd opened today costs more than 2,6 billion roubles. It is easy to calculate that the new road is of the average European quality. The task we face is to implement the project completely by 2018. It is necessary not only to Karelia, as it represents complex solution of problems of transport availability and investment prospects of the region. I suppose that we will manage to concentrate necessary financial resources and to invest them in construction of a new highway.

According to Minister, support will be also rendered to the republic in reconstruction of Petrozavodsk airport. At the moment matters concern inclusion of the airport in the program supporting regional aviatransportations.

Head of Karelia Alexander Khudilainen has emphasized that this year a competition was announced to start the reconstruction of the airport that would enhance flight operating safety and quality of the runway surface.

When the quality of work of the airport improves, investors will need to organize new passenger terminals, too. Both Karelia, and Petrozavodsk have very favourable geographical location. Actually, it is a ready transport corridor between Russia, Scandinavia and the rest of Europe. As soon as reconstruction of the airport comes to an end, and it should occur within two or three years, the airport will become both passenger and cargo transportation terminal, - Alexander Khudilainen said.

Besides, Head of Karelia Alexander Khudilainen has mentioned, in 2015 there should be constructed a 28-kilometer access road to Syvaoro check point and an additional international check point on the border with Finland. For this purpose President of Russia has instructed to bring amendments to The State Border of the Russian Federation state program, and Karelia has submitted the corresponding application.