Ukraine - Roads
The state policy in the field of road management and implementation of state management of public roads is implemented by the State Agency of Motor Roads of Ukraine (Ukravtodor). Apart from a few of the larget cities, almost all highways of Ukraine pass through settlements, which does not meet the requirements for international transport corridors, as it leads to restrictions on the speed of road transport.
The network of public roads of Ukraine is divided into roads of state importance - 52.0 thousand km and roads of local importance - 117.6 thousand km. Of the total length of paved roads with improved types of pavement (cement concrete, asphalt concrete, black highways) are 76.7%, the rest - with transitional types (white gravel and gravel, cobblestones). The density of roads per 1 thousand km2 in Ukraine is 285.5 km; for comparison: in France - 1459, England - 1415, Italy - 981, Poland - 960.
Public roads are divided into roads of state (international, national, regional, territorial) and local (regional and district). The list of roads of state importance is approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine , and local - regional administrations once every three years. Public roads are state-owned and not subject to privatization. They are part of the Unified Transport System of Ukraine and meet the needs of society in road passenger and freight transport.
The length of state roads in Ukraine is 170 thousand km. It includes four international corridors that run across the country and serve as important transport routes for both freight and passenger traffic. The network of main routes is spread throughout the country and connects all major cities of Ukraine, as well as provides cross-border routes with neighboring countries, of which with a hard surface - 165.8 thousand km. The State Agency of Motor Roads of Ukraine is responsible for the condition of these roads. There are still 250 thousand km of city streets, the condition of which is the responsibility of local authorities. There are also departmental and domestic roads.
Up to the Great Patriotic War roads in Ukraine (except for the western Ukrainian lands) were dirt roads. Their condition depended on the weather: soaked and broken in early spring and late autumn, covered with ice in winter, covered with dust in summer. Such roads were not suitable for road transport, were economically unprofitable and could only serve for local needs. Now there are practically no dirt roads left in Ukraine. Beaten roads or highways to the Great War were found only in Galicia in those Ukrainians territories that were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Their development actually stopped after the Great War. Instead, highways developed rapidly in Transcarpathia in the interwar period, and highways in Transcarpathia were of good quality.
As of 1940, the total length of roads in the USSR was 270.7 thousand km. These were mostly dirt roads. Only 10.8% of roads were paved. Roads were built at the fastest pace in the 1960s and 1970s. During 1970-84, the length of paved roads increased by more than 95,000 km, but they were mostly kept in poor condition. By the end of the 1980s, the general road network in Ukraine had actually been built. During 1990-2010, their length practically did not increase.
In Ukraine, highways began to develop intensively only in the second half of the 20th century; by the mid-1980s, they connected all district centers of Ukraine. From 1955 to 1980, the network of paved roads in Ukraine increased from 47.3 to 145.0 thousand km. The development of highways is associated with the growth of car production and the introduction of new technologies in road construction. Improving the efficiency of road construction is associated with the search for new materials, especially binders, which will replace bitumen and reduce cement costs.
Due to limited funding, about 90 percent of public roads have not been repaired for more than 30 years. As a result, public roads (169.6 thousand km) do not meet modern requirements in terms of both strength (39.2%) and equality (51.1%). Artificial structures and bridges need special attention. Of the 16,191 bridges, only 7,471 meet current norms and standards, and 1,865 bridge crossings need urgent repair.
There has been a significant improvement in this sector in recent years. The government is making efforts to improve the country's infrastructure by mobilizing the resources of international organizations and involving the leading international ones in the field of road construction.
Currently, one of the priorities of public policy is to create a competitive market for construction and repair of roads, which will stimulate the implementation of new projects through public-private partnerships. This creates new opportunities for foreign investment and will have a long-term positive effect and the state of road infrastructure, as well as significantly contribute to the economic revival of Ukraine.
Reform of the public highway management system is carried out by separating the powers of central and local authorities in the management of public roads, in particular, the transfer of the latter to the management of public roads of local importance.
On January 1, 2018, the Laws of Ukraine “On Amendments to the Budget Code of Ukraine to Improve the Mechanism of Financial Support of the Road Industry” of November 17, 2016 ? 1763-VIII and “On Amendments to the Law of Ukraine“ On Sources of Financing the Roads of Ukraine ” on improving the mechanism of financing the road sector "from 17.11.2016 ?1762-VIII, according to which the State Road Fund is created as part of the special fund of the state budget.
Also on January 1, 2018, the Law of Ukraine "On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine on Reforming the Management System of Public Roads" of November 17, 2016 ? 1764-VIII came into force, according to which 122,667 km of roads were transferred to the area of responsibility local authorities, and 46,985 km remained under the auspices of the State Agency of Motor Roads of Ukraine.
The new systems not only do not save money, but also significantly increases the cost of repair work on Ukrainian roads. The main thing is that the initial cost of road repairs is not always objective and market-based, and often includes a kickback to the customer. The customer (in this case, the Regional Highway Service) prescribes requirements for contractors in such a way that only a limited number of firms can participate in the auction. Even if “not your own” gets into the list of bidders, it can be removed by means of qualifying criteria.
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