Gagarin Street in Vitebsk is planned for reconstruction within a year, but trams will not return to it after the work is completed, as reported to journalists by Vladimir Belous, Deputy Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee.
Gagarin Street in Vitebsk is planned for reconstruction within a year, but trams will not return to it after the work is completed, as reported to journalists by Vladimir Belous, Deputy Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee.
The improvement of Gagarin Street began in 2005. Two years later, two phases of the renovated street were commissioned, but a part of the road remained in its previous state. The street is 5 km long, and 3 km remain to be improved. "It is impossible to completely close traffic on Gagarin Street, although it would be easier for the builders. In the future, there will be six lanes for traffic, but trams will no longer return to it. Paths for pedestrians and cyclists will appear on both sides. The builders intend to stay within the street's dimensions so that nothing has to be demolished," noted Vladimir Belous.
According to the Deputy Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee, there are not enough funds for all the work yet (there are about Br24 million, the remaining funds will be sought from the budget in the current and next years).
Today, tram traffic on Gagarin Street has been stopped, workers are dismantling rails and overhead lines, and preparing the site for upcoming work. Additional bus and trolleybus routes have been introduced for this period.
Recently, the reconstruction of the "Polotsk" overpass was completed in Vitebsk, which cost less than planned. As a result, approximately Br24 million were saved. It was decided to allocate the remaining money for the improvement of Gagarin Street. The preliminary cost of the reconstruction will be Br39 million.