In Vitebsk on November 14, traffic resumed on the Metallistov Bridge. Representatives of regional and city authorities, public organizations, and citizens participated in the opening ceremony of the reconstructed important facility.
Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, Aleksandr Subbotin, congratulated everyone on the festive occasion:
— Every year, Vitebsk becomes better, more convenient, and more beautiful. Today, we are opening a vital thoroughfare for the city's residents and industrial life. We thank the bridge builders who participated in its restoration. The reconstruction was carried out in a very tight timeframe, and they performed their work with dignity.
As a gift for the holiday, the head of the region presented the General Director of OJSC "Vitebskoblavtotrans," Aleksandr Fedukovich, with a certificate for ten domestic buses.
Chairman of the Vitebsk City Executive Committee, Aleksey Geroev, informed journalists about further plans for the renovation of infrastructure facilities in the regional centre. According to him, significant attention is currently being paid to the repair of the city's street and road system as a whole:
— In 2020, we opened the Polotsk overpass, followed by Gagarin Street. Today, it's the Metallistov Bridge. This year, we began reconstructing the bridge on General Ludnikov Avenue. We plan to complete it by the end of next year. The next stage will involve reconstruction work on the Blokhina Bridge and the Oktyabrsky Bridge.
Furthermore, considerable efforts are concentrated on repairing the carriageways of the street and road network, stated the city leader. According to him, pothole repairs were carried out this year over an area of approximately 100,000 sq. m, which is four times the volume of last year. Continuous asphalt paving has been completed on nearly 200,000 sq. m. Attention was also paid to asphalting streets in the private sector, including profiling with the addition of asphalt granulate and other loose materials. Approximately 280,000 sq. m were profiled, noted Aleksey Geroev:
— The work is ongoing. Plans and funding volumes for these works for the next year are currently being formed. We cannot cover everything at once, but we are certainly trying to address the most challenging sections first. Of course, it is improving. People are noticing it.