ST. PETERSBURG, December 21. /TASS/. The transit cargo traffic in Yakutsk will grow by 2030 from present 9 million tons per year (MTPY) to 11-12 million tons. In light of the expected traffic growth, the authorities plan to build on the Lena's left bank a transport-logistics center, the city's Mayor Evgeny Grigoryev said at the Arctic: Present and Future international forum.

"Yakutsk is the fastest growing city in the Far East. Over 20 year, it has grown by almost two times. The city's population is more than 400,000. In the city with service economy, people are actively involved in businesses. But for 120 days every year the city remains in a transport blockade because there's no bridge [across the Lena]. We need to keep stock sufficient for 120 days - beginning from fuel and to all the rest. While in 2021 we register about 9 million tons, by 2030 accurate forecasts say about almost 11 million tons, and intensive forecasts predict 12 million tons. Two-thirds of this amounts are consumed by the city," the mayor said.

Due to the expected growing cargo traffic, the city authorities insist on a new transport-logistics center on the Lena's left bank. The project is planned to be implemented as an advance-development territory with all the respective incentives. This way, people living in the city will be sure the roads will remain in good conditions, as now heavy vehicles have to get to the city center thus wearing out the road coating.

The 12th international forum Arctic: Present and Future took place in St. Petersburg on December 8 and 9. In 2022, Russia marks the 90th anniversary of the Northern Sea Route, the 85th anniversary of the world's first drifting scientific station, North Pole-1, and the 15th anniversary of the high-latitude Arctic deep-water expedition (2007). Special activities on the forum's agenda were devoted to these events. The forum's organizer was the Association of Polar Explorers, supported by the Federation Council, the State Duma, the Ministry for Development of the Far East and Arctic, the Foreign Ministry and other authorities. Nornickel was the event's general partner. TASS was the general information partner.