Lukashenko was briefed on plans to build roads in Belarus over the coming years
The President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, during a working trip to the Mozyr district, where he participated in the ceremonial opening of the renovated bridge over the Pripyat River, was informed about plans for road construction in Belarus for the coming years, reports a BELTA correspondent.
"We will approach the reconstruction pointwise. This mainly concerns international transport corridors," reported the Minister of Transport and Communications, Alexey Lyakhnovich.
The discussion included, in particular, the highways M-3, M-10, R-46, R-99, R-122, as well as the most demanded sections with significant traffic intensity: R-28, R-53, R-83.
Alexey Lyakhnovich reported on plans for the reconstruction of roads towards Vitebsk and Polotsk. Currently, all regional centers are connected by first-category highways to the city of Minsk, except for Vitebsk. At the same time, the M-3 Minsk - Vitebsk highway on the section from Minsk to Lepel, as well as the R-46 highway, serve as a transport corridor towards the port infrastructure of the Leningrad region of the Russian Federation.
To enhance the efficiency of export-import cargo transportation, the reconstruction of the M-3 highway from Pleshchenitsy to the border of the Minsk and Vitebsk regions is currently underway according to the parameters of the 1st technical category. The reconstruction of the R-46 road from Lepel to Polotsk is also ongoing, which is planned to be completed in 2026. Meanwhile, the capital repair of the R-46 highway from Polotsk to the border with the Russian Federation was carried out in 2024.
"Thus, the center of the Vitebsk region will be connected to Minsk. In this regard, people should be grateful that we will do this," concluded the head of state.
The reconstruction continues on another international corridor. This is the R-122 Mogilev - Chausy route. "We have now started the section of the road, and in the next five years we will also complete it," said Alexey Lyakhnovich. "There are about 40 kilometers there."
"If we are going to build a nuclear power plant in the east, we need to speed up," noted Alexander Lukashenko in response.
The reconstruction of the M-10, which is a highway running from the border of Russia to Kobrin, has begun. "When will we build this road to Kobrin?" - clarified the head of state.
"We see that on this section, which we have now started from Gomel to Mozyr, there is traffic intensity," reported the minister.
The reconstruction of the M-10 highway on the section from Rechitsa to Kalinkovichi, with a length of 86 km, is being carried out according to the parameters of the 1st technical category with the installation of cement-concrete pavement.
Alexander Lukashenko emphasized that this section is undoubtedly necessary, it is essential for internal purposes. However, he was not satisfied with the plans to complete this section only by 2029 and suggested acting faster. "By the time we reach Mozyr (from Gomel. - Ed. BELTA), it should be like from Minsk to Gomel. And we need to speed up," he said. "And from Mozyr further - through Petrikov, Zhitkovichi, and to Kobrin - we will put it on pause for now. Maybe something will change."
As noted by the Ministry of Transport, on the M-10 section from Kalinkovichi to Kobrin, with a length of 343 km, the traffic intensity of vehicles corresponds to the existing categories of the road. Further maintenance of this section in proper condition is planned.
Part of the report to the minister concerned the President's instruction to test the technology of laying a concrete road base over asphalt. Currently, this approach has been applied to a small section of the M-4 Minsk-Mogilev highway, and the experience has been successful.
"So it's feasible? Can we lay concrete over asphalt?" - clarified the head of state.
The head of state was informed that fewer works need to be carried out with this approach, and the price is also lower compared to reconstruction.
"If this is justified, technologically correct, it should be done," said the President.
A decision was made that similar technology will be used for the main exits from Minsk, so as not to impose summer and spring restrictions for heavy loads in the future. The installation of cement-concrete pavement will significantly improve the quality of the pavements of the most heavily loaded sections of roads and increase the permissible load on the axle to 11.5 tons.
Separately, Alexander Lukashenko was informed about the instruction to construct roads with a solid surface to agrotowns. "We have roads from regional centers to district centers. There is no center that is not connected to the regional one with a solid surface. We need to go deeper - from the district center to agrotowns," said the head of state.
Earlier, the government approved the corresponding list for 2025-2026, which includes 34 agrotowns, for which it was necessary to create improved coverage on road sections with a total length of 156 km to ensure maximum comfortable access. This year, 108 km were completed to 29 such settlements (most in the Vitebsk region), and next year there are 5 settlements and 48 km left.
Alexander Lukashenko noted that this work should be approached very carefully and focused on promising agrotowns. "If it has been determined that there will be an agrotown there, the road needs to be repaired or brought to it," said the head of state. "The main thing is not the agrotown (the formal status of the settlement. - Ed. BELTA), but the people. If people will live there, build the road. But if we understand that there will be no people there, then why are we building such a road? Therefore, we need to review the entire country and the Vitebsk region. And we will find money to direct it where needed."
In this same vein, the head of state calls for action regarding smaller villages. "We must see the dynamics. The prospects. If there are 200 people and every year people are leaving, and there will be no village, why bother? We are state officials. We must act where it is needed. A review must be conducted to see if we are not burying money where it is not needed," he said.
Overall, following the implementation of the state program for 2021-2025, it is expected that the repair and reconstruction of 18,000 km of republican and local significance roads, as well as 24,000 linear meters of bridge structures on them (477 units) will be completed.
One of the five priorities outlined in the concept of the social and economic development program of Belarus for the next five years is the priority "Quality roads - new roads to modern quality standards." Among the main tasks for implementing this priority are the repair and reconstruction of 25,000 km of public roads.
The Ministry of Transport, together with interested parties, has prepared a draft state program "Roads of Belarus" for 2026-2030.