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The newly opened stretch of road is 26 kilometres long. The Western High-Speed Diameter road is a strategic investment project that will help to turn St Petersburg into a major transport hub of global importance. 

Speech at the opening of the Western High-Speed Diameter’s northern section

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Friends,

I congratulate you all on the completion of yet another stage in this big project to build the Western High-Speed Diameter here in St Petersburg.

As you know, the work began in 2005. In engineering terms, this is one of the most difficult and complex projects of its kind. Two sections have been completed now, and today we are opening the second section.

Projects such as this develop our regions and the country in general by giving our citizens safer infrastructure. I therefore congratulate all of St Petersburg’s people and everyone who will use this road.

”Projects such as this develop our regions and the country in general by giving our citizens safer infrastructure.“

Projects like this one boost the economy too. We planned from the start that this section of St Petersburg’s road network would organically connect with the marine cargo port, and would be actively used by freight shippers. This is indeed the case, as I heard just now, and this precisely what we hoped for. 

This shows that, when properly organised, our infrastructure development plans and investment do indeed bring returns, and we can therefore expect to see private investors enter these projects, Russian or foreign investors, all are equally welcome.

You know that we have big infrastructure development investment plans, not only in the northwest of Russia, but in other parts of the country too. They include the Central Ring Road in the central region, on which we will soon hold a specific meeting, and also development plans in Siberia and the Far East, developing the BAM [Baikal-Amur Mainline], Trans-Siberian Railway, and Russia’s road network. We are putting enormous funds into this work. We have earmarked 450 billion [rubles] from the National Welfare Fund just for the first stage of the last three projects I mentioned, and of course we will attract private investment too. 

Nothing can be accomplished though without the creative efforts, hard work and determination of the people who are carrying out this project, you and all your colleagues, the engineers, workers, and designers.

Once again, I congratulate all of you on this event. I thank you for this achievement and wish you success. Thank you very much.