The Russian federal road network is facing a significant funding shortfall, with authorities allocating 42% less than the required amount for necessary repairs and maintenance. This could impact the government’s goal of repairing 85% of federal highways by 2030, a key target of the “Infrastructure for Life” national project.

According to calculations, 2.48 trillion rubles have been allocated for federal road repairs and maintenance until 2030. However, regulations indicate that an additional 1.73 trillion rubles are needed to fully address the requirements.

The M-5 “Ural” highway, the longest at 1879 kilometers, has proven to be the most dangerous, with 384 accidents and 113 fatalities since the beginning of the year. Other dangerous roads include the M-7 “Volga” (239 accidents, 52 deaths), M-4 “Don” (213 accidents, 48 deaths), and M-2 highway to Crimea (168 accidents, 37 deaths).

Despite the funding shortfall, the head of the State Duma Committee on Transport expresses confidence that there will be no major issues, stating that the government has allocated around 800 billion rubles for highways. He acknowledged the current budget constraints and the need to accept the decision made.

Analysis of public procurement data reveals that all the roads mentioned in the government decree are in need of repair, with tenders being issued and updated since the beginning of the year. Repairs planned include bridges, overpasses, culverts, bus stops, and sections of the highways themselves.

While a recent survey indicates that 56% of Russians are satisfied with the quality and accessibility of regional and local roads, Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin has acknowledged that road quality has not improved everywhere. The head of the Federal Road Agency claims that people have noticed positive changes and that the main goal of the national project has been achieved.