OREANDA-NEWS. "Russian Highways" State Company (Avtodor) and Mostotrest announce commissioning of the head segment of the new M11 "Moscow-St. Petersburg" Highway between the Moscow Ring Road (MRR) and Solnechnogorsk (km 15 - km 58). The segment will be operated in toll-free test mode until mid-2015.

The new highest category (I-A) highway will become an alternative to the existing M10 "Russia" Highway on its most critical stretch between the MRR and Solnechnogorsk, and will significantly reduce driving time to Zelenograd and the suburban towns of Solnechnogorsk and Dolgoprudny, as well as to Sheremetyevo Airport.

The head segment of the M11 "Moscow-St. Petersburg" Highway (km 15 - km 58) has become a pilot concession-based road infrastructure development project in the public-private partnership (PPP) format. Concession grantor is Avtodor, concession operator - the North-West Concession Company (NWCC), a special purpose vehicle established in 2007 for the Project.

NWCC shareholders are VINCI Concessions, Europe's leading construction company, and the Mostotrest Group, one of the largest Russian transport infrastructure construction companies. In 2014 alone, the Russian partner in the Project commissioned more than 20 infrastructure facilities, including an outbound overpass on Mozhaisky Avenue in Moscow, the fifth section (km 258 - km 334) of the M11 "Moscow - St. Petersburg" Highway (Vishnu Volochyok Bypass), a bridge over the Don River in the Aksai district of the Rostov region, segments of the M9 "Baltic" Highway in the Moscow region and M11 "Narva" Highway in the Leningrad region, etc.

The new modern highway is unprecedented in Russia in terms of traffic safety and environmental quality. The dividing strip along the entire 43-kilometer segment is equipped with an integrally cast concrete barrier manufactured based on the European technology and reinforced for operation in Russia; the entire segment's periphery is protected with metal bumpers, while stone mastic asphalt (SMA) with a high tire grip coefficient was used for pavement.

The new route is the most advanced road in Russia in terms of environmental quality. The segment is equipped with more than 23 km of noise barriers, 5 underpasses for animals, 2 meter-high additional mesh fencing on the periphery of right-of-way lanes and 35 water treatment facilities. Continuous environmental monitoring of the highway will be ensured throughout its operation.