Leningrad region opens traffic ahead of schedule on the access final section to Port of Ust-Luga

The pre-commissioning launch ceremony for the final 12-km-long section of the road access to commercial sea port of Ust-Luga was held ahead of schedule in the Kingisepp District, Leningrad Region. The section is linked to the federal highway A-180 Narva, the Leningrad Region Governor’s press office said.

The ceremony was attended by the Russian Minister of Transport Maxim Sokolov and the Governor of the Leningrad Region Alexander Drozdenko.

Minister Sokolov highlighted that with the commissioning of the new section of the A-180 highway, the construction of initial segment of the most important Europe-Western China transport corridor was completed, linking Ust-Luga with Port of Lianyungang in China.

"The Leningrad Region is an ambitious region. And we want the port complex Ust-Luga to be one of the best in Russia and Europe. In this regard, the opening of a new section of the road enables us to maintain a balance of economic and social interests, allowing development of both road transport and creation of additional opportunities for the development of settlements located here," Alexander Drozdenko said.

The route traverses the territory of the Ust-Luga bunkering complex, crosses the "Northern" road and the section of the Oktyabrskaya railway under construction, and then further along, bypassing the villages of Sloboda, Yugantovo, Krasnaya Gorka, Smenkovo, Dubki, goes to the existing road south of the village of Ruch’iy. The commissioning of the entire access road to the port will allow truck drivers to cut travel time by more than 30 minutes, significantly improve the comfort and quality of passenger and freight traffic. The estimated speed of the new section of the road is 120 km / h.

The project of the 52-kilometer access to the Port of Ust-Luga from the A-180 Narva highway was implemented in several phases: In 2014, the commissioning of the junction of the Narva (112 km) highway and the section of the access to the port from 16th km to 40th km; in 2015 the completion and opening of the site from 0 to 16 access to the port, as well as the first stage of work on the site from 40th to 52nd km.