Modern cities, becoming the centers of economic, social and cultural life of entire districts, constantly face the challenges of infrastructure development. Investing in such facilities is the basis for sustainable economic development and ensuring a high quality of life for the population.
The Development Bank, together with local authorities, annually implements projects aimed at improving the country's transport infrastructure, creating conditions for the development of key sectors of the economy and increasing the mobility of citizens.
On the eve of the Independence Day of the Republic of Belarus and the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the country from the Nazi invaders, new key transport arteries were opened in Lida and Gomel.
The opening of the transport artery in Lida took place in a solemn atmosphere with the participation of residents, the leadership of Grodno region and the city.
The main function of Krasnoarmeyskaya Street in Lida is to connect the central part of the city with a number of large microdistricts with dense residential buildings. The peculiarity of the settlement is that the city is cut by the railway into two parts. With the growth of new microdistricts, the intensity of traffic of residents has increased sharply. During rush hour, congestion appeared: in the area of the regulated railway crossing, there was a narrowing of the roadway from four lanes to two. The situation was aggravated during the movement of trains, and there are more than 30 of them per day. The District Executive Committee in Lida regularly received appeals from citizens and legal entities on the issue of expanding the roadway of Krasnoarmeyskaya Street in the area of the railway crossing.
Monitoring showed that the intensity of traffic in the area of the crossroads of Krasnoarmeyskaya and Gastello streets in the evening and morning hours was 900 vehicles per hour.
The infrastructure project of the Development Bank made it possible to build an overpass over the railway tracks, to reconstruct the railway crossing, to expand the roadway, as well as to make bicycle paths and stopping areas for route vehicles.
“This is another step in the development of Lida's infrastructure. Thanks to the decision of the President and the identification of 11 cities of accelerated development, which included Lida, the district center and Lida district received a new impetus in development. Housing and social facilities are being built at a faster pace, and a more favorable investment climate has been created. And it is clear that in parallel we must actively develop infrastructure in order to create the most comfortable and safe conditions for people's lives. And today's opening of the bridge, the long-awaited bridge, it can be seen in the number of people, is a clear confirmation that we are doing everything right,” said Vladimir Karanik, Chairman of the Grodno Regional Executive Committee.
The infrastructure project in Lida was implemented in a short time. Construction work started in November 2023, and it was assumed that the construction would take more than a year, but 8 months later the facility was put into operation.
“The implementation of our project together with local authorities will allow residents of several microdistricts of Lida to conveniently and quickly get to the city center and back, because the dimensions of the street have increased to four lanes, which made it possible to ensure its capacity of up to 1.6 thousand vehicles per hour,” said Elena Stalbovskaya, Head of Grodno branch of the Development Bank.
She also noted that in recent years, the pace of road construction has increased significantly in the republic.
“I am sure that such projects will continue to be implemented in all districts of Grodno region. The Development Bank is always ready to provide maximum assistance and, together with the leadership of the region, ensure timely commissioning of important social facilities,” Elena Stalbovskaya emphasized.
Residents of Lida celebrated the opening of a significant city facility: a neon and light-laser show, a theatrical performance, a parade of automobiles and specialized equipment. By the way, ambulances were among the first to pass along the new road, which were donated by the Development Bank to the Central District Hospital in Lida.
Another bright event took place in Gomel, where a section of the H-4095 Tsentrolit-Uritskoye-Uvarovichi highway was launched after reconstruction.
The opening ceremony, which took place at the traffic circle of the renovated highway, was attended by representatives of regional and city authorities, deputies and residents of the city.
“According to the established good tradition, Gomel received a wonderful socially significant gift on the eve of significant holidays – the Independence Day and the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Republic of Belarus from the Nazi invaders. The narrow roadway of the section connecting the industrial zone of the Sovetsky district with Gomel could not cope with the increasing traffic intensity. 27 million rubles were allocated for the reconstruction of this section, and you can see that it is a completely different road both in terms of safety and the degree of improvement,” said Ivan Krupko, Chairman of the Gomel Regional Executive Committee.
Four lanes with two-way lighting, cycle and pedestrian lanes along the entire length, acceleration and deceleration lanes, traffic light regulation, bus stops, video surveillance are the modern advantages of the new section of the highway. Despite the fact that the site is located within the city, the permissible speed limit here is 90 kilometers per hour.
“One of the key activities of the Development Bank is to improve urban infrastructure through the construction of new roads, bridges, transport hubs and public transport, which contribute to a more efficient movement of citizens and improve the logistics of enterprises. Today we have successfully completed the reconstruction of another landmark facility in Gomel, but the Bank's work on the implementation of similar projects in the region will continue,” said Andrei Klimov, Head of Gomel branch of the Development Bank.
To the sound of fanfare, the red ribbon to commemorate the launch of the road was cut. The right to be the first to pass the new asphalt pavement and open traffic on this section was given to the equipment involved in the construction and repair work. The participants of its opening were also able to appreciate the quality, modern infrastructure and comfortable traffic on the section with a length of more than 3.5 kilometers, having traveled this way on electric buses.
