The track at Manzherok: why the topic caused loud discussions

In the Altai Republic, interest in the modernization of the section of the federal highway R-256 "Chuisky tract" near Manzherok continues.

Against the background of the widespread use in social networks of personnel recording deforestation, emotional assessments are multiplying in the public field. However, the real meaning of transformations often escapes behind individual images: it is about removing acute transport stress in the region, and not about the development of a gambling zone. This is reported by newstula.ru.

The scope of the work covers the segment from the 454th to the 475th kilometer. Within its limits, 3.6 km of the existing road are being reconstructed, bringing it to four lanes, and at the same time 14.4 km of a new highway are being laid. A key feature of the project was tracing around the settlements of Souzga, Cheremshanka and Manzherok - this approach is designed to bring the transit flow beyond residential areas. According to experts, this will significantly reduce the level of noise and the concentration of harmful emissions in areas where people live, as well as improve pedestrian safety. The details of the project are given by “Komsomolskaya Pravda”.

The load on the existing site during the peak season exceeds 27 thousand cars per day, and the current two-lane configuration of the road has objectively exhausted its capabilities. Regular congestion forces drivers to spend much more time on the road than stipulated by the regulations. The head of the Altai Republic, Andrei Turchak, emphasizes that the Chuisky and Teletsky highways act as the main transport arteries of the region: both the daily amenities of residents and the prospects for socio-economic growth of the territory directly depend on their throughput and technical condition.

In order to improve safety and increase throughput, the site provides for the construction of two multi-level interchanges - in Souzga and at the turn to the Lake. In addition, the project includes the arrangement of two multifunctional recreation areas for drivers and an above-ground pedestrian crossing in the area of Manzherok. The track will receive modern fencing, outdoor lighting and an automated traffic control system – a set of technical solutions is designed to ensure stable and predictable operation of the highway even during peak loads. Work is carried out within the framework of the national project “Infrastructure for Life”, and their completion is scheduled for the end of 2028.

The environmental component of the project has been systematically developed. Under the terms of the federal contract, mandatory reforestation on the lands of the state forest fund is fixed: compensation measures must be implemented in full before the object is commissioned. Monitoring of compliance with environmental requirements is carried out by specialized agencies, and the facility itself is under special control of the Government Commission for Regional Development under the supervision of Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin. Manzherok resort makes a significant contribution to the restoration of green areas: more than 2.39 million trees have already been planted in the region as part of a multi-year program to rehabilitate Lake Manzherok and support biodiversity.

About 200 specialists and 75 units of equipment are currently involved on the site. The main front of work is focused on the preparation of the earthbed: at the moment, about 20 thousand cubic meters of excavation and more than 7 thousand cubic meters of embankment have been performed. In parallel, an auxiliary infrastructure is being formed: sites for an industrial base and a repair zone are being created, an asphalt concrete plant is being installed, a residential town for employees is being built. The general contractor of the project is Transstroymechanization. The implementation is carried out on behalf of the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation Mikhail Mishustin.

Despite the lively discussion on social media, it is important to keep the focus on the technological and social logic of the project. Deforestation is a forced and strictly regulated stage of construction of the necessary transport artery, and not an independent goal. The project was initially formed taking into account the minimization of inconveniences for local residents and the reduction of anthropogenic load on the environment: this is what dictated the principal decisions - tracing bypassing settlements and strict obligations to restore forests.