Rustam Minnikhanov and Ilsur Metshin take part in the opening ceremony of the Gorkovskoye Highway after reconstruction

The reconstruction of the 11.5 km section of the Gorkovskoye Highway has been underway since 2022. The opening ceremony for the highway was attended by the Rais (Head) of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov, the Tatarstan Minister of Transport Farit Khanifov and the Mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin.

«It is difficult to overestimate the significance of the reconstruction of the Gorkovskoye Highway – this is a crucial event for the transportation system of the entire city. The highway was built in the mid-1970s as the sole entrance to Kazan from the west. If the first reconstruction project for the millennium anniversary of the city, which expanded the road to four lanes, took seven years, we have now accomplished a tremendous work in just two years», – Ilsur Metshin noted.

Gorkovskoye Highway is an important transportation artery in the city, connecting residents of the Kirovsky city district, the residential area of Salavat Kupere, and the villages of Zalesnoye and Yudino. «This is another significant step in the development of Kazan's metropolitan area. Today, Tatarstan and Kazan lead in housing commissioning due to the construction of such roads, which provides convenience for citizens. There are approximately 1.5 million people living in the Kazan metropolitan area», – said Russian Vice Prime-minister Marat Khusnullin.

Today, traffic began on the new Bolshoy Zelenodolsk highway and the updated section of the M7 highway in the Verkhneuslonsky district. «The reconstruction of the Gorkovskoye Highway, in conjunction with the construction of the section at the junction of the federal roads M7 and A295, will make it possible to relieve the street and road networks of the Kazan agglomeration and provide a high-quality highway for outbound traffic», – said Russian Transport Minister Roman Starovoit.

Rustam Minnikhanov noted that 27.1 billion rubles had been allocated from the republican and federal budgets for the reconstruction of the highway.

Marat Khusnullin took part in the ceremony and opened the traffic at the highway. Up to 171 workers and 65 special vehicles were working on the site every day.

The roadbed has been fully renovated in two years. In areas with the highest traffic, workers laid durable asphalt concrete with a polymer-bitumen binder.

Workers built a comprehensive set of road structures, including three interchanges at different levels, three in one place, a tunnel, and a flyover. The interchanges were equipped with lifts, ramps for walkers and cyclists. For the first time in Tatarstan, a three-level interchange design was implemented.

A 3–4.5-meter-wide sidewalk has been constructed along the route for pedestrians, as well as a 14-kilometer-long bike path. The length of the exits and local driveways is 6.5 kilometers. Noise protection screens have been installed.

A tunnel for cyclists and pedestrians has been built under the railway bridge.