Now, on to the news from Crimea that is coming in as we speak. The president met with contractors who are implementing one of the greatest transportation projects on the peninsula, the Tavrida highway. It will stretch from the Crimean Bridge to Sevastopol via Feodosia, Simferopol, and Bakhchysarai.
- Hello, Olya! So, when will the highway start working at full capacity?
- Yes, Ernest, good evening! This holiday season is record-breaking. Traffic on the Crimean Bridge is unprecedented: no less than 36,000 cars per day. All this traffic, all this load, is then adopted by the Tavrida highway. Both the stages of its construction and completion date were discussed at today's meeting between the president and the prime contractor.
Vladimir Putin: "Here, several days ago, I observed the work progress. I flew over practically the whole highway. It's very important that it be commissioned on time. But, as I understand, the first complex has been already commissioned with two lanes open".
Valeriy Abramov, CEO of the VAD Company: "I'd like to reassure you that, next December, the Tavrida highway will be commissioned for the full development in full complex".
Vladimir Putin: "With four lanes open?"
Valeriy Abramov, CEO of the VAD Company: "Yes, with four lanes open, it'll be completely finalized and made perfectly".
Viktor Perevalov, first assistant CEO of VAD: "By September, Crimea and Sevastopol will have had a very good highway for the drivers to enjoy".
Vladimir Putin: "Will the route be opened only in December?"
Viktor Perevalov, first assistant CEO of VAD: "In September".
Vladimir Putin: "In September?"
Viktor Perevalov, first assistant CEO of VAD: "In September".
Vladimir Putin: "The route will be opened. And the paperwork will be finalized in December".
Viktor Perevalov, first assistant CEO of VAD: "Yes".
Vladimir Putin: "But it doesn't make any difference to the people when the paperwork is finalized, it's important when they can drive on these highways".
Viktor Perevalov, first assistant CEO of VAD: "It'll happen in September of 2020".
Vladimir Putin: "Well, great".
From east to west through the entire peninsula, it covers 155 miles. The Tavrida goes from the Crimean Bridge to Simferopol, and then on to Sevastopol. It's being constructed 24/7. The president asked who worked on the site and how much they earned.
Vladimir Putin: "You hired a lot of locals to work on your construction sites".
Valeriy Abramov, CEO of the VAD Company : "Yes, around half out of the 2,200 workers on our constructions sites of the Tavrida Highway are specialists from Crimea. We hope so much that, in the future, if you allow it, when we work on future projects, that we'll keep this core team comprising of both our specialists and the ones from and Crimea".
Vladimir Putin: "And your average wage is…"
Valeriy Abramov, CEO of the VAD Company: "70,000 rubles per month".
Vladimir Putin: "That's decent".
A construction project of an unprecedented scale will cardinally change the transportation network of the peninsula. Multi-mile stretches of new highways and dozens of multi-level junctions. It means that it'll be even more convenient to travel across Crimea. By the way, the contractors promise that the first overhaul won't come any earlier than a quarter-century from now. It's fantastic! Crimea hasn't ever seen such roads. Ernest?
-Olya, thank you! That was my colleague Olga Armyakova covering the latest news about the long-awaited major transportation project, the Tavrida Highway.
