More than 80 kilometers of road is to be squeezed into Moscow by the end of the year as part of the city's souped-up transit development program, Deputy Mayor Marat Khusnullin told Interfax on Thursday.
The development plan previously extended until 2016, but last month City Hall committed 2.9 trillion rubles ($83 billion) to stretching it through to 2020 to help resolve Moscow's notorious transport issues, identified as the city's "most acute problem" by Mayor Sergei Sobyanin.
About 20 percent of Moscow residents spend more than three hours a day traveling to and from work, an "unacceptable" situation, Deputy Mayor Maxim Liksutov, the head of the city's transportation department, was quoted as saying during last month's session at which he announced the new spending plan.
According to the development plan, Moscow will gain 130 kilometers of new subway lines, 400 kilometers of road will be rebuilt, and 240 kilometers of new railroad will be laid in the city and surrounding regions.
Offering an update on progress, Khusnullin, who oversees town planning and construction in Moscow, said Thursday that the city will get 84 kilometers of road this year and that 78 kilometers of track is being laid at present.
He added that 54 kilometers of the new track allotment will be taken up by the Moscow Ring Railway — a revamped Soviet-era freight line that will be used as a commuter rail line that links up with the Moscow metro and should be operational by 2016.
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