Skip to main content

Ukraine's pivotal plans

The authorities in the Ukraine are in discussions regarding financing for a major road project, as well as making plans for the country's first ever highway concession.
February 16, 2012 Read time: 3 mins
The authorities in the Ukraine are in discussions regarding financing for a major road project, as well as making plans for the country's first ever highway concession. The latter is of key importance for the country. Ukraine's State Road Adminstration, 2780 UkrAvTodor is opening the tender process for a 74.6km stretch of the Big Ring project, which will see the construction of a new ring road around capital Kiev. The project is being split into three major sections and in all, will measure 213km long and cost an estimated US$6.9 billion.

Amongst the major components are two bridges spanning the Dniper River and over the Desna River, structures that will measure 8.2km, 4.5km and 2km respectively. The aim of the project is to remove through-traffic from the centre of Kiev and to provide a key link in the highway connections between Asia and Europe.
At present some 11,000-62,000 vehicles/day use parts of the various sections that will become the ring road.

However traffic volumes are expected to grow once the link is constructed and could range from 100,000-170,000 vehicles/day according to UkrAvTodor's official estimates. The first phase of the project is from Kiev to the Znamianka Road and will run through Chernigv and Novi Yarolovychi. The second phase will connect the Kovel Road with Kiev, while the third phase will be from Kiev to Chernigiv.

Meanwhile the $450 million road project concerns the Kiev-Kharkov-Dovzhansky link and in particular, rebuilding of the stretch between Lubny and Poltava. UkrAvTodor, is in discussions with the 2332 World Bank for loans that would help finance the project.

Road construction is a major issue in the Ukraine and UkrAvTodor has previously said that its road budget for 2011 is only sufficient to cover basic maintenance and will not stretch to major highway upgrades or expansion of the country's 170,000km network. It is for this reason that the ring-road around capital Kiev is being offered on a concession basis for example. The country requires a road budget seven times the present sum, with around 90% of the Ukraine's roads in poor condition according to a previous statement by a senior UkrAvTodor executive.

Some $595 million was provided at the end of 2010 by the 1166 European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to UkrAvTodor under a 15 year loan agreement for improvements to roads around Kiev. Plans were also made for a similar sum for further work in the same area being provided by the 1054 European Investment Bank.

Consultant 2782 WSP has been working with UkrAvTodor on a road sector review and the development of a Road Management Reform Plan. The aim of this would help define a strategy for reform of road administration and management. WSP's team has identified and made recommendations on improving road financing for state and local roads, based on available and potential sources of revenue and the maintenance needs of the network.

Related Content

  • Road investment benefit for Montenegro
    February 11, 2014
    China's Exim Bank is providing financing worth some €800 million to the Government of Montenegro for a highway project. The loan will be used to pay for work to a section of the Bar-Boljari highway stretch. The work on the Podgorica-Kolasin stretch is due to commence shortly and will be carried out by the Chinese contractor CC International. The Government of Montenegro will borrow some €118 million for capital projects and €240 million for the budget requirements. Of this, €10 million is to be borrowed fro
  • Bosnia-Croatia link discussed
    July 13, 2012
    Bosnia and Croatia are looking to discuss a new highway construction project to link the two countries. The Adriatic-Ionic section of the Corridor VC motorway looks likely to pass through Bosnia. The plan is to build a total of 110km of roads, out of the planned 336km on the Corridor VC, by 2012.
  • Investing in Albania's roads
    March 22, 2012
    The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is providing major funding in Albania’s road network. A loan worth €53 million will help pay for the construction of the new Fier and Vlore bypasses. This loan will aid further development of the Albanian road network and boosting economic integration in the country by co-financing the construction of the two bypass roads, located in south-western Albania. The EBRD loan is structured in two tranches and will be used by the Albanian Road Authority t
  • Kenya develops annuity road funding model
    May 8, 2015
    Kenya is introducing novel methods for funding its necessary road infrastructure development - Shem Oirere writes. Kenya has unveiled a new financing model for road construction and reviewed its design standards and construction methodologies, which forms part of a new strategy for the East African country. Under this new plan Kenya is planning to upgrade 10,000km of road, with these links featuring asphalt surfacing; the work being carried out over the next five years at a cost of US$2.8 billion. Despite t