No One Wanted: Contractor Not Found for Olkhon Road Repair
No applications were submitted to participate in the auction to select a contractor for the reconstruction of a road on Olkhon Island. This follows from information published on the public procurement portal.
Earlier, the authorities of the Irkutsk region announced an auction to select a contractor for the reconstruction of a 29-kilometer section of road on Olkhon Island, from the ferry crossing to the entrance to the village of Khuzhir. The initial contract value was 6.8 billion rubles (about $76 million at current rates).
The work is scheduled to begin in March 2026 and end in October 2028. During this time, the contractor must build a two-lane road on the island, designed for a maximum speed of 80 kilometers per hour (50 mph). It must be paved. The projected traffic intensity is 1–2.5 thousand vehicles per day.
The project also includes a 2.5-meter-wide (8.2 ft) bicycle path, two rest areas and four bus stops, along with an information board.
It is worth noting that the construction of roads on Olkhon is an assignment from Russian President Vladimir Putin. In March 2023, Transport Minister Maxim Lobanov stated that all 40 kilometers on Olkhon were planned to be put into operation in 2026. In July 2025, the cost of all facilities—from the pier to Kharantsy—was estimated at 8.3 billion rubles (about $93 million at current rates). Governor of Irkutsk Region Igor Kobzev asked the head of the Russian Ministry of Transport, Andrey Nikitin, to increase federal funding for the reconstruction of the largest section of road on the island.
A six-kilometer section of the road from the 153rd to the 159th kilometer, which is closer to Khuzhir, was involved in a scandal when the contractor only repaired 600 meters (about 1,970 ft) at the entrance to the village. This story even led to the initiation of a criminal case.
The facility, which has not even been started yet, is the reconstruction of the section from the 124th to the 153rd kilometer of the road on Olkhon Island near the village of Yalga. At the start, the cost of this project ranged from 7.5 to 8.3 billion rubles (about $84–93 million at current rates).
In addition, in 2026 the contract for the construction of a new pier on Olkhon Island is set to expire. But most likely, the work will not be completed before 2027, officials admitted.
