Officials, environmentalists and residents of the Moscow region discussed the project of the route through Losiny Ostrov

On Thursday, at the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, officials, environmentalists and residents of the Moscow region discussed plans for the construction of a backup exit from the M-8 Kholmogory highway to Korolev, which is constantly loaded with traffic jams. The city administration offers a route along Vodoprovodnaya Alley to Kaliningradskaya Street. But in this case, part of the road will pass through the Losiny Ostrov national park, and construction will have to be coordinated with the Ministry of Natural Resources. Environmentalists point out that complying with all the requirements for construction on a protected area will be too expensive, and they fear that officials will “build an ordinary road.”

It was planned to hold a discussion about the route in early February, but the chairman of the commission on ecology and environment of the OP RF, Elena Sharoykina, was Vladimir Putin’s confidant in the elections, so she could not fulfill her duties in the chamber. Opening event, she said that Mr. Putin’s campaign headquarters also received questions about this road, which shows “the severity of the social problem.” The social activist assured those gathered that the situation “will be 100% considered at a higher level”; Also, Ms. Sharoykina does not exclude the possibility of involving the Prosecutor General’s Office. At the same time, she hopes that the issue will be resolved “after all, without the intervention of the president.”

The first deputy head of Korolev’s administration, Sergei Ivanov, insisted that the problem of entry into the city has existed for several decades. In 2014, the exit on Pionerskaya Street was expanded, but this did not change the situation: “Traffic jams form from 15:00 and create problems for the federal highway. Therefore, we have worked on the option of reconstructing the road already existing in the national park.” According to him, during the public discussion, the administration received 11 thousand protocols: 4 thousand contained comments and suggestions, “mostly standard,” but the remaining 7 thousand did not contain complaints.

“Comments came from both Moscow and Mytishchi. Perhaps people want to know more about how this will be implemented, whether it will cause damage to the national park,” suggested Mr. Ivanov.

“This road, which they are talking about reconstructing, I skied there as a child with my grandfather. There is still a ski track there in winter,” recalled the indigenous Korolev hydrogeologist Georgy Kavanosyan. “This is an eco-trail, not a real road. It doesn’t solve anything for the transport issue now and won’t be able to solve it without full-fledged construction, not reconstruction.” Mr. Kavanosyan is confident that in order to improve the transport situation, it is necessary to rethink the planning of the city’s development: “Currently, no new enterprises are being built in Korolev, developing it as a science city. And the population is increasing due to high-rise, low-cost residential construction.” According to him, the project caused dissatisfaction among residents, since “it is clear to them that the cut-off part of Losiny Ostrov will eventually also be built up – and transport problems will only intensify.”

Representative of the Ministry of Natural Resources Artur Chertov said that they have not yet received documentation on the approval of the expansion of the national park roads and routing options, so it is not yet possible to talk about the official position of the department. “All we know is that the road has existed there from time immemorial and did not contradict environmental regulations,” he added. Deputy Minister of Ecology of the Moscow Region Vitaly Tyurin especially emphasized that we are talking “only about the overhaul of the road through Losiny Ostrov, and not about the construction of a new one.” He was asked whether the department had considered alternative routes, and the official replied: “We accept as the main option the one that has now caused acute dissatisfaction and indignation among everyone, but we will take into account the comments received.”

Residents of Korolev regularly put forward various options for solving the transport problem in the city. Thus, during the discussion, city activists proposed building a tunnel under the national park.

And Kirill Yankov, a member of the public council under the Ministry of Transport, presented in some detail the routing, which does not affect the protected area at all. However, such a road involves the construction of a railway overpass, “which will require additional costs, but will actually solve the transport problem.” Mr. Yankov also said that the version from city officials contains significant shortcomings: “Two 90-degree turns can reduce the road capacity by four times. And if you change them to smooth turns, then this will definitely be new construction and felling, and not reconstruction.” The expert also pointed out that the plan does not include an interchange at the exit from Kholmogory: “This will allow it to be used only in the direction of the region, and it will not be possible to exit along this road onto the federal highway. Although there is also such a request.”

“This project (through Losiny Ostrov.— “Kommersant”) people reject in principle, entirely. What comments can be taken into account here! — ecologist, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Viktor Danilov-Danilyan was indignant. According to him, the construction of a road through the national park “will require compliance with environmental principles at the modern level.” For example, it will be necessary to install “structures that allow the migration of animals” – and this “will cost more than laying even a more complex road outside the national park.”

Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences does not believe that officials will agree to such a burden on the project; they “want to lay a regular road.”

His colleagues from scientific institutes – ornithologists, dendrologists and zoologists – unanimously confirmed that the construction of a road through the park will lead to a decrease in biodiversity and disruption of the natural functioning of the natural area. Moreover, the road will interfere with “the function of the forest as a natural mechanism for protecting human health, regulating climate change and its consequences,” added Anna Geraskina, a senior researcher at the Center for Ecology and Forest Productivity of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

At the end of the meeting, the chairman of the public council of the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources, the new head of VNII Ecology, Alexander Zakondyrin, spoke (the draft EIA was prepared under the old leadership). He assured that his institution will no longer be involved in preparing an EIA, and in May the public council of the ministry will discuss the road project as part of the discussion on protected areas. “The situation with transport in this area is difficult, and it needs to be solved,” admitted Mr. Zakondyrin. “But Losiny Ostrov is the pearl of the national nature reserve system, and it must be preserved.”

Polina Yachmennikova