OREANDA-NEWS. On 23 March 2009 was announced, that in September of 2007 highway engineers of Republic of Karelia have been receiving their colleagues from Tennessee Department of Transportation. Results of this international communication were reflected in the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Construction of the Republic of Karelia and the Tennessee Department of Transportation. Last May on the basis of this document the Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Republic of Karelia and Minister of Construction Valery Momotov and the Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner Gerald Nicely have signed the cooperation progran for 2008-2010.

As basic spheres for experience exchange there have been defined several, including maintenance of highways, creation and operation of the uniform traffic control service on highways of the USA and Russia in case of accidents, practical studying of new technologies and materials, etc.

On the basis of the cooperation program from March 17 to 25 two highway engineers from Tennessee Department of Transportation will be on probation in our republic. Eric Michael Brown and Burel Wade Tidwell will learn in practice maintenance of highways in winter. Besides visiting Petrozavodsk maintenance depot, they are expected to visit maintenance depots in Kostomuksha and Sortavala, get acquainted with highway system of Pitkäranta and Suojärvi regions. In the latter of these regions there will be held a round-table discussion concerning winter maintenance of motorways in Karelia.

Training of American highway engineers will end in summarizing of their work in maintenance depots and excursion over Petrozavodsk.