Roads of belarus

Belarus is fifteenth among countries with developed network of motorways by density of public roads per one square kilometer and twelfth by their length per one thousand of inhabitant

BACKGROUND

More than four centuries ago the first documents( statuses) for the state regulation of public roads and traffic rules were introduced in Belarus. In XVIII-XIX the Belarusian roads reached the European level. During the Soviet times a large-scale road construction ensured the creation of optimum network of motorways. Presently, having 207,600 square kilometres of territory and 10.5 million inhabitants, Belarus accounts for 53,500 kilometres of public roads. More than 67% of them are concrete or asphaltic concrete, 1,830 km of roads have four or more traffic lanes. The core of Belarusian motorway network is republican highways 16,382 km long.

The main government document that sets out economic, legal and administrative principles of governing the country's system of motorways is the 1994 Law on Motorways. The Committee for Motorways under the Belarusian Transport Ministry oversees the branch that is financed from the state budget road fund.

TRANSEUROPEAN HIGHWAYS

The geographical situation of Belarus has predetermined its role of a transit state. The main Belarusian highway Minsk-Moscow was built before the World War II. In 70s the highway was extended to Brest within the project of large-scale construction timed to 1980 Moscow Olympics.

After the break-up of the Soviet Union, the Belarusian motorways became an essential part of the European transportation network. At the present, the major Belarusian highway is Ml (E30 by European classification). It links West Europe countries with Russia, crossing Poland and Belarus (606 km). In 1994 the country started the project of Ml modernization, funded with loans of European financial organizations. By 1998 reconstruction of the first stretch of the highway 234 km long was completed. Upgrading and improvement other parts are in progress.

Ml highway makes also a part of the Crete Corridor 11 that is considered by the European Union a priority transportation route due to the significance of East-West transport flows through it.

Another important Belarusian highway is M8 that is a part of the Crete Corridor IX and links Russia with Ukraine through Belarusian cities of Vitebsk and Gomel. The highway is 456 km long.

The 468 km highway Gomel-Vilnius-Klaipeda plays an important role in the Crete Corridor IXB, linking Russia and Ukraine with the Baltic states.

MANAGEMENT

Belarus' road maintenance system had been finally shaped in 1998. State-run companies (called “Avtodor”) distribute government orders among companies of different ownership thus making it possible to use the allocated funds efficiently and exercise control over fulfillment of road maintenance contracts. Magistralavtodor oversees maintenance of M highways which are 4,200 km long. Local motorways are run by six Regional Associations which are subordinated to local governments. The road branch of the country employs more than35.000 people.