Four-lane highway to be built from Riga to Moscow
07.04.2011, 17:56Latvia and Russia wish to build a four-lane highway from Riga to Moscow that would contribute to transit from Russia to Latvia's major ports – Riga, Ventspils and Liepaja, Transport Minister Uldis Augulis (Union of Greens and Farmers) agreed with the visiting Russian Transport Minister Igor Levitin today.
The Transport Ministry informs that the highway will become a key transit artery and a priority project for Latvia. It is planned that the highway will be built by end-2018.
The Transport Ministry is now doing preparatory work for the construction of a four-lane highways from Riga to Liepaja, Ventspils and the Latvia-Russia border, with the help of European Union funds.
Some of these projects are under way already.
The projects will be financed with money from the Cohesion Fund program for 2007-2013 and the Transport Ministry's own funds allotted to the ministry from the state budget.
It is planned that 15 percent of the cost of the projects will be covered with money from the state budget, and the remaining 85 percent – with Cohesion Fund resources.
The next meeting between Augulis and Levitin will be held at the end of May within the framework of the Latvia-Russia intergovernmental commission's meeting.