Ukraine plans to build about 2,000 km of roads in 2013-2018. Roads will have appropriate road infrastructure, the press service of the Infrastructure Ministry has said.
According to the report, the plan is included in the draft state targeted economic program for the development of public roads for 2013-2018, which is being completed. The estimated sum needed to implement the program of road development is UAH 264.553 billion. It is planned to finance the program using funds from the national budget and international financial institutions.
The document foresees the bringing of the existing 169,500 km of roads to a proper operating condition, which will facilitate the growth of the country’s transit potential.
Nearly 30,000 km of public roads, mainly those leading to the major cities, as well as the highways with the most intensive vehicular traffic, will be repaired.
It is planned to build paved roads to rural settlements.
“Such a large-scale upgrading of Ukrainian roads will not only increase the level of road safety, speed, comfort and efficiency of passenger and freight transportation, but also increase revenues from transit automobile transportation and the development of automobile tourism,” reads a statement.
When preparing the draft program, Ukraine studied the road development experience of the United States, Germany, Britain, Japan, Australia and all the countries of northern Europe, as well as the post-Soviet space closest to the level of the development of Ukrainian roads. According to the report, the developers of the draft project came to the conclusion that the best and most acceptable way of upgrading roads is government funding.
“Road construction under the terms of public and private partnership (concession) is much more expensive than through government funding and requires 100% government guarantees, so there is still no alternative to upgrading roads using state funds,” reads the report.
However, the ministry is continuing to work to find the best options for the implementation of projects under the terms of public and private partnership in Ukraine and to use them in the future in the case of positive results.
As reported, the Cabinet of Ministers by its decree No. 719 of September 3 approved the concept of the state targeted economic program for the development of public roads for 2013-2018. The state customer of the program is the Infrastructure Ministry.
