The Government of Sverdlovsk Region has been given a 708-million-ruble loan for motorways development. The money is to be directed to the region’s three key objects: a major road junction in Yekaterinburg, a portion of Yekaterinburg orbital motorway, and a portion of Serov-Khanty-Mansiysk road, the region’s Minister for Transport and Roads Sergey Shvindt announced at a press briefing that followed the regional government’s meeting.

‘3.9 billion RUR worth of the regional budget’s money was originally provided for road-building for the year 2010. We then obtained a state loan for 708 million RUR, of which 360 million will be spent on the junction in Bolshakov St.-Yasnaya St.-Furmanov St. We expect the road in Moskovskaya St. direction to be ready for traffic in October. 107 million RUR will be invested in the twenty-eight-kilometer-long portion of our Serov-Khanty-Mansiysk tract, and the rest will be directed to Yekaterinburg orbital motorway, namely, to its Yekaterinburg/Perm-Yekaterinburg/Serov stretch,’ the Minister said.

‘What is more, we will soon be given another 1.7 billion RUR, of which 200 million will be spent on the Ural Village project and 1.5 billion RUR will go to the repairs and overhauls of major motorways (Yekaterinburg orbital motorway included),’ he added.

Moscow is also considering providing Yekaterinburg with 1.3 billion RUR more for roads overhauls at the moment. The city council is now drawing up the list of objects that will have to be repaired. On July 7, 2010, the Russian Federation State Duma is going to settle the question of subsidizing Yekaterinburg in the final third reading.