Difficult roads to port
On Friday the first phase of a multifunctional transshipment complex Yug-2 was launched in Ust-Luga. The terminal’s major task is to handle new foreign cars which earlier entered Russia mainly via the ports of Finland. However, road infrastructure is to be urgently upgraded, otherwise further development of terminals is unreasonable.
This week the Coordination Council has held its meeting in Ust-Luga to integrate the efforts of investors, state authorities and companies specializing in infrastructure development in order to facilitate the port’s development. One of the major problems raised at the meeting was the state of road network. According to Ust-Luga Company management, the master plan for Ust-Luga development envisages expansion and upgrading of road network though the plans have not been implemented yet.
According to Valery Izrajlit, the construction is being carried out by private companies, the trucks of which destroy the road. As of today there no instruments for accreditation of contractors in respect with their relation to road infrastructure. Valery Izrajlit says introduction of paid roads to the port could contribute to creation of a fund to finance infrastructure development as state finance is not sufficient and often delayed.
According to Nikolai Posyada, Vice-Governor of the Leningrad region, the long-drawn transfer of the road linking the port with the Tallinn highway to the federal competence delayed road reconstruction for several years as it was not financed by either regional or federal budget. As of today, the road is within the competence of Federal Highway Agency (RosAvtoDor) and it will take certain time to develop a project and to start reconstruction. As of today, a paid permit is likely to be given to companies ready to invest into infrastructure.
The Coordination Council decided to prescribe pit owners to develop access projects by the year end so that the existing highways were not used by cargo transport.
Coal has traditionally been the main cargo handled in the port of Ust-Luga. It is delivered by railways but introduction of Yug-2 makes the problem of roads more urgent. According to Aleksandr Goloviznin, deputy Director General of Ust-Luga Company, the road to Narva highway is to be repaired this year, while the construction of the first phase of a double-lane Luga-Veliky Novgorod highway is scheduled for the next year.
Aleksandr Goloviznin says RosAvtoDor proposes three ways for motor transport approach to Ust-Luga. At the first phase it is proposed to use the way from Ust-Luga to Narva highway and then to a concrete road (so called “betonka”) leading to a federal highway Russia running to Moscow. The second option is Luga-Veliky Novgorod highway. According to Aleksandr Goloviznin, by the end of summer RosAvtoDor plans to announce a tender for design of a road to Novgorod. There are also plans to reconstruct Keikino-Petrodvorets road with a link to Ivangorod, to build a transport detour around Ivangorod as well as a highway parallel to Narva highway. Highway engineers say that technologically it is easier to build the second road that to widen Narva highway.
All the plans on road development are quite timely. The main part of cargo flow from the port will be made by containers after the Baltic Container Terminal is launched in a year. The terminal’s initial capacity is to make 500,000 TEU, maximal capacity - 3 million TEU. Valery Izrajlit says only one third of containers is to be taken out of the port by railway with the rest falling on motor transport.
Mariya Mokeicheva