Construction of the southwestern bypass road around Vitebsk is being completed three months ahead of schedule

September 21, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. The construction of the southwestern bypass around Vitebsk is being completed three months ahead of schedule, Deputy Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee Anatoly Diulin told a BELTA correspondent. The implementation of this project was planned within the state investment program by the end of 2012. The work on the construction of the 24-kilometer highway is practically completed. Currently, road marking is being carried out on the highway, and guardrails and fences are being installed. The road will be open for traffic in a week. As Anatoly Diulin noted, this project is very important both for transport following from the Minsk direction in transit through Vitebsk to the Polotsk direction, and for the residents of the regional center. Large flows of transit trucks caused inconvenience to citizens, interfered with the movement of passenger transport, especially during peak hours, and negatively affected the environmental situation in Vitebsk. The construction of the bypass road began in 2009 and was associated with considerable difficulties. For example, the roadbed in some places had to be laid through marshland, the depth of the swamp in some places reached 9 m. More than 40 culverts have been laid. Road builders had to build four overpasses and two bridges - over the Western Dvina and Luchesa rivers. More than 50 thousand tons of asphalt concrete were used to lay 12 km of the roadbed. The road has two lanes in each direction and has a reinforced shoulder. Along the road, there are parking lots and bus stops. The new highway corresponds to the 2nd technical category and ensures the safety and comfort of traffic. According to Anatoly Diulin, there are no roads of such quality around regional centers in Belarus yet. The total cost of the project is Br300 billion. The new facility has already attracted the interest of potential investors who intend to develop a network of roadside services here. -0-