Published on: 2026-10-29
Source: Government of the Russian Federation –
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Reducing accidents on regional and local roads in Russia is one of the priority objectives of the national project “Infrastructure for Life,” which is being addressed through a comprehensive approach, interagency cooperation, and educational efforts.
“The road is a high-risk zone that requires attention from both drivers and pedestrians. In developing the road network, it is necessary to ensure a balance: while maintaining high traffic capacity of the roads, the probability of road accidents must be minimized. This is our absolute priority. We are systematically addressing this complex task thanks to the national project ‘Infrastructure for Life.’ Since the beginning of the year, 150,000 linear meters of street lighting lines have been installed on regional and local road networks, approximately 396,800 linear meters of barrier fences and 73,100 linear meters of pedestrian fences. Additionally, 446,100 linear meters of sidewalks have been arranged, and more than 68,700 road signs have been installed,” said Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin.
At the same time, a well-maintained area and developed infrastructure positively affect the behavior of the road users themselves.
“Equipping regulated and unregulated pedestrian crossings eliminates the risks associated with crossing the roadway in unauthorized places. Creating dedicated sidewalks and pedestrian zones allows for the separation of pedestrian and vehicle flows. And a dedicated bicycle lane helps remove two-wheeled vehicles from drivers’ blind spots. In other words, the quality of road infrastructure gradually forms a safe behavior model for all road users. This work is actively continuing under the national project ‘Infrastructure for Life.’ In total, this year, thanks to the national project, 1,600 traffic lights, 346,200 linear meters of street lighting lines, 855,000 linear meters of barriers, and 178,000 linear meters of pedestrian fences will be installed on regional and local roads. Specialists will also equip 884,000 linear meters of sidewalks, 1,300 speed bumps, 2,200 bus stops, and install more than 150,000 road signs,” said Minister of Transport Dmitry Yadrov.
A special role is assigned to educational activities, in particular work with children and adolescents.
“On our part, we are renovating roads to schools and kindergartens, as well as to sports facilities. At the same time, we apply an integrated approach: arranging pedestrian crossings, traffic lights, barrier fences, lighting lines, and much more. However, people’s safety also depends on themselves, so special attention is given to educational work, especially with the younger generation. With the support of the national project “Infrastructure for Life,” from September 22 to October 25, the All-Russian online Olympiad “Safe Roads” was held. The Olympiad took place in our country for the seventh time, with almost 7 million people participating this year. The project helps schoolchildren review traffic rules and learn to respond correctly in unusual road situations. The tasks are designed so that the child first reviews the theory, studies action algorithms for complex situations, and only then consolidates the material through testing. That is, the goal is not so much to test the child’s knowledge as to develop safe road behavior skills and bring them to automaticity,” noted Radik Farazutdinov, Deputy Head of the Federal Road Agency.
In the Nizhny Novgorod region, during the eight months of 2026, there were 372 road traffic accidents with casualties on regional roads, which is 11.6% less than in the same period last year. In addition, the number of casualties in road accidents decreased by 16.8%.
The most common and dangerous type of road traffic accidents are collisions, including those involving driving into oncoming lanes. To minimize such accidents, it is planned to separate traffic flows on several sections of regional and local roads in the region with a total length of 26 km by the end of 2026: installing a central metal barrier fence, and where this is impossible, signal posts.
Such safety measures were taken on the section of the Nizhny Novgorod – Shakhunya – Kirov route in the area of the village of Usta – here, 282 dividing posts have been installed.
Special attention is given to pedestrian safety. In the Republic of Buryatia, 43 pedestrian crossings will be arranged this year as part of the national project. In particular, during the repair of a section of Sovetskaya Street in the village of Ivolginsk, the road workers not only replaced the asphalt-concrete pavement but also arranged a 2-meter-wide sidewalk with lowered curbs and set up a parking lot.
In addition, pedestrian crossings were installed during the major overhaul of the Ulan-Ude – Turuntaevo – Kurumkan – Novy Uoyan highway from the 360th to the 369th kilometer. This section of the regional road leads from the village of Yarikta, providing access to the Barguzinsky Datsan, which attracts numerous pilgrims.
The arrangement of sidewalks also plays an important role in ensuring road safety. For example, thanks to the national project, a new sidewalk appeared in the village of Starye Kazanchi, Askinsky District, Republic of Bashkortostan. A major overhaul was carried out on the section of the Starye Kazanchi – Urmankul – Novye Tatyshly route. Previously, there was a gravel surface on the 1.5 km stretch, but now there is a high-quality asphalt concrete pavement with a sidewalk and pedestrian fencing.
It has also become safer in the village of Elanysh in the Salavat district, where a 3-kilometer section of the Meshchegarovo – Turnali – Mursalimkino highway was completely renovated. During the work, the contractor reinforced the roadbed foundation, laid an asphalt concrete pavement instead of gravel, as well as 2.3 km of sidewalks within the village. In addition, 511 linear meters of railing fences and more than 3 km of lighting lines were installed.
Next to the renovated section is the main general education school. Thanks to the major repairs, children, their parents, and teachers will be able to reach the institution by a safe route.
Lighting also plays an important role in ensuring road safety. In the Samara region this year, as part of the national project “Infrastructure for Life,” 6.4 thousand linear meters of artificial lighting were installed on regional roads. For example, it has become brighter in the village of Zakharkino, where a major renovation of the “Kinel-Cherkassy – Ural – Zakharkino” highway section was carried out. Here, 667 linear meters of lighting lines and 961 linear meters of sidewalks were arranged. Additionally, 76 road signs, 444 linear meters of barrier pedestrian fences, and 95 signal posts were installed. About 9 thousand linear meters of road markings were applied.
Installation of outdoor lighting lines in the Samara region continues. Currently, work is underway on Obvodnoye Highway in Tolyatti. The contractor is installing more than 12 thousand linear meters of outdoor lighting.
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