Published on: 2026-08-13
Source: Government of the Russian Federation –
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“The construction and renovation of roads to nature reserves and national parks make Russia’s unique natural sites accessible to everyone. Tourists can quickly, safely, and comfortably reach equipped visitor centers. Under the national project ‘Infrastructure for Life,’ this year we plan to bring over 100 regional and local road network facilities, which provide transport access to protected areas, up to standard. Their total length will be more than 800 km,” said Marat Khusnullin.
Repairing roads to nature reserves is part of a large systemic effort to update routes to the country’s cultural, historical, and natural landmarks.
“Thanks to the national project ‘Infrastructure for Life,’ we continue to bring roads leading to tourist attractions into regulatory condition. This year, under the national project, we will repair and modernize 1,600 km of regional and local networks – a total of 340 facilities. Improving transport accessibility to such places is a driver of the development of small and medium-sized businesses. Along the new routes, guest houses and eco-hotels, farmers’ stalls, and souvenir shops for travelers are appearing. Each renovated road is an investment in the economy of the region through which it passes,” said Minister of Transport Andrey Nikitin.
At the same time, the development of tourist infrastructure is impossible without taking into account the geography of the objects themselves. In some cases, it is necessary to create a unified transport framework that connects protected areas of several regions at once.
“Many reserves and national parks are located at the junction of several constituent entities of the Russian Federation, and our task is to ensure full transport accessibility from each of them. We synchronize the road programs of neighboring regions so that tourists, scientists, and emergency services can reach the protected area by any possible route,” emphasized the Deputy Head of the Federal Road Agency, Radik Farazutdinov.
The Buzuluksky Bor National Park covers an area of more than 106 thousand hectares. Of these, 55.5 thousand hectares are in the Orenburg region and 51.2 thousand hectares are in the Samara region. This year, in the Samara region, two road sites are being brought to regulatory condition simultaneously; these pass through the village of Borskoe and lead to the national park. These are the section of the Otradny – Bogatoe – Borskoe route (2.7 km) and the segment of the Kinel – Bogatoe – Borskoe road (2.8 km).
In the Orenburg region, a regional road Bugulma – Buguruslan – Buzuluk – Uralsk runs along the eastern edge of the Buzuluksky Bor National Park. This year, several sections of the route in the Buguruslan, Buzuluk, and Pervomaisky districts with a total length of 11 km are being brought up to standard condition. A section near the national park, 6 km long, is being thoroughly overhauled. The route itself has become part of the main road network: it passes through five districts of the region and serves as a transit artery connecting Russian regions with Kazakhstan. Its total length is 347 km, and the route has been updated gradually since 2019. More than half of the road is already in standard condition.
In the Republic of Adygea, the third phase of construction of the Guzeripl – Lago-Naki Plateau highway began this year. Most of the plateau’s territory, except for the sections located in the Apsheronsky district of Krasnodar Krai, is part of the Khristofor Shaposhnikov Caucasian State Natural Biosphere Reserve. In 1999, the reserve’s territory was included in the UNESCO World Heritage list. It harbors populations of European bison, Persian leopards, and other rare and endangered animal species. The settlement of Guzeripl is one of the tourism centers of Adygea and a venue for international rafting competitions.
Previously, it was possible to reach tourist sites and the nature reserve from the settlement only via the federal highway A-159. Thanks to the new road, this route will be reduced by half. The first and second phases of construction have already been completed, and this year they are planned to be put into operation. Also, this year, the third and final phase of construction began – an additional 7.4 km.
In the Magaramkentsky district of the Republic of Dagestan, a major overhaul is underway on a 3.3 km section of the Khodzha-Kazmalyar – Azadogly road. This is a popular tourist destination and the shortest route to the Samursky State Nature Reserve. This place features spring streams, rare endemic plants, and relict trees entwined with evergreen lianas. It is home to the Caucasian otter, roe deer, and rare bird species.
In addition, this year, a major overhaul began on the section of the highway Glavny Sulak – Novaya Kosa – Staroterechnaya – Kraynovka. The length of the project is 15 km. The road runs along the coastal area of the Kizlyarsky and Babayurtovsky districts of the republic, providing access to the federal highway R-215 Astrakhan – Kochubey – Kizlyar – Makhachkala. Moreover, this is the route to the federally significant nature reserve “Agrahansky.” Rare and endangered species of mammals inhabit its territory, including red deer, the reed cat, and others. Over 200 bird species have been recorded here, including 40 species that are endangered. After the road’s major overhaul, the unique natural area will become more accessible to ecotourism enthusiasts.
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