The customer for the public discussion of the Environmental Impact Assessment report for the facility "R-46 Lepel-Polotsk-Russian Federation border (Yukhovichi) Motorway, km 0.000-61.500" (hereinafter referred to as the Facility) is the Republican Unitary Enterprise of Motor Roads "Vitebskavtodor" (210026, Vitebsk city, Suvorov Street, 16, e-mail: vitavtodor@/vitebsk.by, tel/fax +375 (212)35-85-48).
The purpose of the project development is to bring the parameters of the specified section of the motorway to Category II standards and to increase the road's load-bearing capacity to the European standard of 11.5 tons per axle.
The basis for the project development is the implementation of the goals and objectives of the State Program for the Development and Maintenance of Motor Roads in the Republic of Belarus for 2017-2020, approved by Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus of September 19, 2017, No. 699, aimed at improving the transport and operational condition of republican motor roads; and improving the quality indicators of republican motor roads.
The project provides for: the reconstruction of the R-46 Lepel-Polotsk-Russian Federation border (Yukhovichi) Motorway, km 0.000-61.500, and bringing the transport and operational indicators of the motorway to the regulatory requirements for Category II motor roads, as well as the reconstruction and major repair of bridge structures.
The reconstruction of the road will improve its transport and operational parameters, which in turn will directly impact socio-economic development aspects such as the productivity of the road sector, business efficiency, and the population's living standards.
With the improvement of the transport and operational indicators of the road, the volume of freight traffic will increase, and roadside services will develop, leading to an increase in the region's socio-economic indicators. Improved transport conditions will reduce air, soil, and vegetation pollution, thereby improving the ecological situation in the region.
Possible environmental impacts of the designed road are related to construction work (operation of road construction machinery and vehicles during earthworks and road surface construction, transportation of soil, construction materials, lubricants, and personnel performing construction and installation work; mechanical processing of construction materials, minor repairs, painting work) and operational impacts (functioning of the facility as an engineering structure, operation of mobile sources of impact (motor transport).
Impacts related to construction work are generally temporary. Operational impacts will manifest during the period of operation of the designed facility.
The designed section of the R-46 Lepel-Polotsk-border of the Russian Federation (Yukhovichi) road, km 0.000-61.500, is located in the Lepel, Ushachi, and Polotsk districts of the Vitebsk region. The beginning of the designed section, km 0.000, is located at the junction from the M-3 Minsk-Vitebsk road near the town of Lepel, and the end is at km 61.500 of the existing R-46 road.
The implementation period for the planned activities for the facility is 2021.
The public discussion period for the project is from February 20, 2018, to March 22, 2018 (inclusive). Public proposals and comments are accepted throughout the entire public discussion period.
The Environmental Impact Assessment report for the Facility can be found on the website of the Lepel District Executive Committee lepel.vitebsk-region.gov.by in the "Public Discussions" section, and at the Department of Architecture and Construction of the Lepel District Executive Committee (Lepel town, Leninskaya Street, building 6, office 107).), contact person – Head of the Architecture and Construction Department of the Lepel District Executive Committee Klyashtornaya Natalya Leonidovna, telephone 8 02132 6 70 05, ot.lepel2016@yandex.ru).
Written remarks can be sent to the postal address: 211174, Lepel, Leninskaya Street, 6. Contact person: Klyashtornaya Natalya Leonidovna, Head of the Architecture and Construction Department of the Lepel District Executive Committee, telephone 6-70-05, e-mail: ot.lepel2016@yandex.ru.
An application for the necessity of holding a meeting to discuss the environmental impact assessment report and an application for the intention to conduct an environmental review shall be sent in writing within 10 working days from the date of commencement of public discussions to the postal address: Lepel, Leninskaya Street, House 6 (marked for the Architecture and Construction Department), by fax 8 0212 4-13-47, or by e-mail ot.lepel2016@yandex.ru.
The Lepel District Executive Committee (Lepel, Leninskaya Street, House 6, tel. 8 02132 6-70-05, fax 8 0212 4-13-47, lepel.vitebsk-region.gov.by) is responsible for decision-making regarding economic and other activities.
A notification on the public discussion of the report "Road R-46 Lepel-Polotsk-border of the Russian Federation (Yukhovichi) km 0.000-61.500" will be published in the newspaper "Lepelski Krai" on February 20, 2018, and on the website of the Lepel District Executive Committee lepel.vitebsk-region.gov.by