The Russian government has decided to allocate 100 billion rubles ($1.5
billion) to building a highway connecting the capital of Crimea,
Simferopol, to the town of Kerch, the Slon news website reported Monday.
The highway, named Tavrida, is set to be opened by 2020.
“Last week, not without problems and debates, we found funds necessary
to build the highway. The sum is significant – more than 100 billion
rubles — and it requires special attention,” Prime Minster Dmitry
Medvedev said, Slon reported.
The highway project is not the only major infrastructure development in
Crimea. The Kerch bridge, a 19-kilometer dual road-rail bridge to
connect Crimea with Russia's Krasnodar region, is also underway in the
region. The project, which is currently scheduled for completion in
2018, will ensure that the disputed peninsula is accessible by car and
train directly from Russia. The bridge is set to cost a total of 212
billion rubles ($3.25 billion) and is hoped to ultimately join up to the
Tavrida highway.
President Vladimir Putin visited the construction site in March this
year, and promised to “hang” anyone responsible for the project's
possible late completion.
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