Acting governor of the Moscow region Andrei Vorobyov has reached out to Transportation Minister Maxim Sokolov in a letter asking him to help resolve a stalemate between regional authorities and Sheremetyevo Airport on the planned expansion of the Starisheremetyevskoye Shosse.
Regional authorities want to expand the highway from two to four lanes to improve communication between Sheremetyevo's terminals.
The airport, however, refuses to grant a permit for the project out of fear the road works will exacerbate traffic congestion and hinder communication between its North Terminal and South Terminal.
Vorobyov dismissed the airport's concerns and appealed for help in order to complete the project by its deadline set for 2015, Vedomosti reported.
The Transportation Ministry confirmed having received the governor's letter, but refused to comment. Sheremetyevo Airport was also not available for comment.
The Starisheremetyevskoye Shosse is a six-kilometer stretch connecting the airport's South and North Terminals and providing access to the town of Lobnya and the Dmitrovskoye Shosse.
The cost of the completion of the road expansion project has been estimated at 3.8 billion rubles ($117.7 million), out of which 290 million rubles will be funded by the Moscow region with the remaining amount coming from the federal budget, Vedomosti said.
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