Reconstruction of an Ikhala-Raivio-State border Automobile Road, km 0-km 14 (KA 549)
Funded by Karelia ENPI 2007-2013

Objective of the project

The purpose of the project was a consistent economic development on local, regional, and federal levels. The aim of the project was to ensure reliable continuous international communication within the frontier zone.

Main activities

• Preparatory works. • The roadbed: excavation of soil of the road, construction of road embankment, grading, compaction of soil, construction of ditches and shoulders, reinforcement of ditches, moving of soil, seeding. • Road pavement. • Structures: construction of corrugated metal pipes, retaining of the river beds and the slopes at the pipe ends.

Achievements

The output of the project is the reconstructed 14 km's section of the Ihala-Raivio-State border road. The road section is now in standard and operational condition. The project supported reliable and continuous transport connections between Russia and EU/Finland. The results of the project are increased traffic capacity of the road, elimination of accidents and decrease of travel time. The road pavement is now asphalt instead of gravel, and the road section meets the requirements of normative documents. Visibility on the road has improved, which improves traffic safety. The maximum traffic speed on the road section is now 90 km/h which has decreased travel time. As a result, there is a road connection of high standard from the A-121 Sortavala road (Saint Petersburg - Sortavala - the R-21 Kola Motorway) to Finland via Syvaoro-Parikkala border crossing point. The improvement of the road connection between Russia and Finland promotes growth of freight flow, trade and transit, improvement of border operations and development of business and tourism at regional and local levels.