Infrastructure minister says Kyiv-Odesa, Kyiv-Chop highways be revamped by early May

Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Omelyan has announced the Kyiv-Odesa and Kyiv-Chop highways are planned to be revamped by early May.

"Referring to road repairs, we must complete [works to improve the condition] of the Kyiv-Odesa and Kyiv-Chop motorways (in the most problematic section across the Carpathians) in early May. In other words, traffic will fully be restored," the minister told RFE/RL's Ukrainian bureau on April 9, adding that this is not related to major road overhauls.

Read alsoPoland mulling over construction of highway to Ukraine"When we talk about a high-quality overhaul, so that it is built for years rather than a year, it will start this year and continue for two or three years," Omelyan added.

He states that with the five-year stable financing Ukraine will have roads better than in Poland before the latter had joined the European Union. After that, it is necessary to look for a "financing tool" for highways construction worth about EUR 10 million (US$384,172) per kilometer of motorway, which is expensive for both the state and investors.

According to the minister, Ukraine has managed to repair 3,000 kilometers of roads over the past two years. This year it is planned to revamp over 4,000 kilometers.

In March 2018, Ukravtodor CEO Slawomir Nowak said that about UAH 300 billion ($11.5 billion) is expected to be allocated from all sources for repairs to public roads of state importance within five years.

Adviser to Ukravtodor CEO Oleksandr Kava told RFE/RL's Ukrainian bureau that a total of 2,100 kilometers out of 170,000 kilometers of the country's general road network were repaired in 2017. According to him, at least UAH 2 trillion ($76.8 billion) is required for major road overhauls in Ukraine.