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Moscow starts designing 23 new roads.

Kaluzhskoye Highway will be broadened to ten lanes. Construction of new roads is scheduled to begin in 2013

MOSCOW, August 25 (Itar-Tass) —— Moscow authorities have started designing 23 new roads that will link together Kaluzhskoye, Kiyevskoye and Simferopolskoye highways in the new territories that were added to the city earlier this summer.

Designing of “facilities that raise no doubts” is already under way there, Deputy Mayor Marat Khusnullin said, referring specifically to Kaluzhskoye Highway that will be broadened to ten lanes. Construction of new roads is scheduled to begin in 2013.

In addition, railway crossings need to be modernised in the new territories in order to get rid of traffic congestion they cause. “Also, railway tracks to Smolensk and Kiev have to be renovated, and we will certainly do that,” Khusnullin said.

He said provisions would be made for building a high-speed transport route to link Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports. “In addition, we plan to launch high-speed train service between the airports using the existing railway lines. We are working on that too,” he added.

“Our task is not just to build a rail or motor road but to make sure that real estate property and new jobs are created along them as well. We hope that tax revenue will eventually make up for the amounts of money invested in infrastructure,” Khusnullin said.

He recalled that the Skolkovo innovation centre is developing rapidly as part of Greater Moscow development plans. “We are building transport infrastructure in Skolkovo and think that this will be a serious development centre,” he said.

The Moscow city authorities are also engaged in negotiations with all major developers in Moscow’s new territories, urging them to both build housing and create new jobs there.

“Everybody understands that if the city helps with infrastructure, roads and technical support, there will be demand in the market for comprehensive development that includes construction of housing and offices. We will offer economic mechanisms to investors in order to encourage rapid development of new territories,” Khusnullin said.

On December 27, 2011, the Federation Council approved a resolution that changes the boundaries of Moscow and the Moscow region. Prior to that, the Moscow and the Moscow region legislatures had approved the agreement between Gromov and Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, under which the city's territory will increase by 160 hectares, or 2.4 times.

The document calls for the transfer of 21 municipalities, including two urban districts, 19 urban and rural settlements, and three unpopulated areas in the southwest of the region to Moscow.

At the same time, Moscow will give 1.3 hectares of land in the northwest to the region.

Changes to the boundaries of the city and region will become effective on July 1, 2012. During the transitional period until then Moscow's executive authorities can perform certain functions in the new territories as may be provided for in their agreements with the executive authorities of the Moscow region,

Medvedev suggested changing the boundaries of Moscow and the Moscow region in June 2011.

Municipalities to be incorporated into Moscow after its enlargement will retain their powers and boundaries, according to amendments to Moscow's Charter adopted by the City Duma.

There will be three types of urban municipalities within Moscow: city districts, urban settlements and urban districts.

Twenty-one municipalities will be incorporated into Moscow: two urban districts (Troitsk and Shcherbinka) and 19 urban settlements. Currently, there are 125 city districts in Moscow.