SALEKHARD, December 11. /TASS/. The State Duma will discuss in the coming year a bill, which allows construction in the Extreme North of toll roads for trucks, even if they will have no alternative routes there, the legislation's head of the committee on the North and Far East, Vladimir Pushkarev, told reporters on sidelines of an Arctic media congress on Monday.
"It [the bill] has been presented to the State Duma, and now it undergoes respective procedures," he said. "We expect the committee will have its first reading in early 2019 <...> In January-February."
The bill has been initiated "in the interests of the Yamalo-Nenets Region and its residents, where there is no bridge across the Pur River," the legislator added.
In summer, the way to cross the river is to use pontoons, in winter - to drive on ice. The new bridge will connect year-round the local settlements with the mainland. the Region's southern part, whih has well-developed transport infrastructures, will get connected with the developing Arctic territories. On the Pur's right shore, the fuel and energy sector's 14 enterprises develop their fields.
The local residents will cross the bridge for free, and cargo transporting vehicles will have to pay for using it. About 2,500 vehicles will cross the river daily. The bridge construction is estimated at 6.9 billion rubles ($104 million), the final amount of due investments will be outlined in the concession agreement. Specialists say, the construction will be in complicated engineering and geology conditons, which have been reflected in the construction project.