Public discussion of the environmental impact report for the construction of a bypass road has begun in Vitebsk

Public discussion on the environmental impact of the construction of the "Northwestern Bypass of Vitebsk" highway has begun in Vitebsk, as reported to BelTA by the Republican Unitary Enterprise of Automobile Roads "Vitebskavtodor".

A multi-page report has been presented for public discussion, which includes a description of the construction, an assessment of the environmental status, socio-economic conditions, information on the natural conditions and resources of the planned construction region, a forecast and assessment of possible changes in the environmental status and socio-economic conditions, and measures to prevent, minimize, and compensate for harmful environmental impacts.

"Vitebskavtodor" specialists noted that only a portion of the transit vehicles traveling along the M8/E95 highway "Border of the Russian Federation (Yezeryshche)-Vitebsk-Gomel-Border of Ukraine (Novaya Guta)" from the east and the adjacent R21 and R112 roads from the east do not enter Vitebsk. From all other directions, transit traffic predominantly passes through the city center, which is due to the concentration of bridges across the Western Dvina and Luchesa rivers in this part of the city. During peak hours, the capacity of the streets leading to the bridges is insufficient to handle traffic flows, with speeds dropping to 20-30 km/h, and traffic jams occurring in certain sections.

To date, the Southwestern Bypass of the city has been commissioned, connecting the Vitebsk-Polotsk-Border of the Republic of Latvia, Minsk-Vitebsk, Vitebsk-Sennno-Tolochin, and Vitebsk-Orsha highways. For a complete ring road bypass of Vitebsk, it is necessary to connect the interchanges on the R20 "Vitebsk-Polotsk-Border of the Republic of Latvia (Grigorovshchina)" and M8/E95 roads by constructing a bypass road on the northwestern side of the regional center.

The construction project envisages laying a 10.6 km section of the highway along a new route, and upgrading the parameters of the existing local road over a length of 14.85 km to meet the requirements of Technical Category II. A major overhaul of the bridge over the Luzhesnyanka River and the construction of a large bridge over the Western Dvina River, as well as two overpasses, are also planned. The total length of the road will be 25.45 km.

According to expert assessments, the construction of the "North-Western Bypass of Vitebsk" highway will complete the ring road around the regional center, thereby removing transit transport from the city streets. This will improve public transport operations and enhance the quality of life for the population. The project implementation will lead to an increase in the volume of international transportations between Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia, which will boost the inflow of funds into the state budget through transport fees. Furthermore, according to environmentalists' assessments, no negative consequences for the ecological and social environment are expected from the construction of the highway.

Information on the environmental impact assessment of the new construction and opportunities to submit proposals are available at the Vitebsk City and Vitebsk District Executive Committees, as well as at "Vitebskavtodor".