Balakhna bypass road project costs rise by billions

The project to build the Balakhna bypass as part of the R-152 highway in the Nizhny Novgorod region has risen in cost to 30.3 billion rubles (approx. $337 million at current rates). Initially, construction was estimated at 22.6 billion rubles (approx. $251 million), with the majority intended to come from the federal budget. However, the cost of the works has now increased. The relevant document has been published on the regional government«s website.

The Balakhna bypass will become a section of the Shopsha–Ivanovo–Nizhny Novgorod highway, stretching for 24.6 kilometers (about 15.3 miles). It will run from the Lukinsky turn, passing through the settlement of Gidrotorf and the village of Istomino, to the bypass near the village of Galkino.

Construction of the facility is expected to take an average of four years. The Balakhna bypass is planned to be built under a concession agreement.

It should be added that the Balakhna bypass is intended to be a toll road. The route will feature three interchanges and three toll collection points. The concession agreement for construction was initially planned to be signed in 2024, with the project to be implemented in 2025–2031.