The government of the Samara Region in central Russia is to build a 4km bridge across the Volga near the city of Togliatti as part of a transport corridor between Europe and China.
Half of the cost of the $1.8bn project will be met by the government of Samara, which is close to Russia’s border with Kazakhstan, and the remainder will be raised by a special purpose company called Bypassing Togliatti.
The investment is to be recouped by tolls, with payments ranging from $3 for cars to $18.20 for lorries.
According to Russia Today, the main investor and contractor may be Mostotrest, Russia’s largest build builder, but this has not been confirmed by authorities.
The bridge will carry a 96km highway linking Moscow and Kazan, the capital of Russia’s Tatarstan republic, and is projected to cut travel time from 16 hours to eight.
Work on the bridge is to begin later this year, and the first vehicles are due to cross in 2024.
Image: A rendering of the bridge released by the government of Samara
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