Sarateni – Soroca road to be repaired from summer

The works to rehabilitate the Sarateni – Soroca (93km) road will begin this summer, Anatol Usatyi, director of the road rehabilitation project of the Compact Program financed by the Millennium Challenge Fund, said in a program on Radio Moldova. The bids submitted by companies that want to perform the works are now assessed. The contest was announced by the Millennium Challenge Fund Moldova in partnership with the State Road Administration. The bids were filed by ten companies from Lithuania, Italy, Israel, Portugal, Turkey and other countries with experience in the field, Info-Prim Neo reports. The Sarateni – Soroca road was divided into four segments. Repair works will be performed on them simultaneously. The planned works envision the reconstruction and modernization of the road, rehabilitation of the entire road system, optimization of the route, enhancement of the intersections with the local roads. In the same program, Sergiu Budesteanu, who is responsible for social and environment matters within the Compact, said that the repair of the abovementioned road will bring benefits to the 15 communities situated along the road. The stations and crosswalks will be rehabilitated. Local roads will be constructed to facilitate access to such social facilities as schools, kindergartens and hospitals. There will be set up 2 000 road signs and built drainage channels. The works will be performed with the US$130 million allocated from the Millennium Challenge Fund. Deputy Minister of Transport and Road Infrastructure Boris Gherasim said the Sarateni – Soroca road that forms part of the national road M2 ensures connection between Moldova and Ukraine. It is used by over 300,000 persons. The deputy minister voiced hope that in 2014, when the rehabilitation works will be completed, the Sarateni – Soroca road will be a model one. The US$260 million Compact Program has two components – rehabilitation of the roads and transition to modern agriculture.