31 May 2008
Third branch of Minsk subway to be built by 2017

The third branch of the Minsk subway will be constructed by 2017, Vasil Zhybul, head of Minsk's subway development company, said at a news conference on Friday.

Preparatory work for the development of the 7.7-kilometer-long branch to consist of six stations will start in 2010, according to Mr. Zhybul.

The stations will include Loshytskaya in front of the ambulance service hospital in southern Minsk, Aerodromnaya or Minsk City near the Minsk-1 airport, Zhukowskaya at the intersection of Zukowskaha and Varanyanskaha Streets, Vakzalnaya near the central railroad station, Klara Tsetkin and Yubileynaya on the streets with the same names. Vakzalnaya and Yubileynaya will be interchange stations linked with Ploshcha Lenina and Frunzeskaya respectively.

The cost of the first stage of the construction is estimated at 1,300 billion rubels.

Mr. Zhybul said that authors of the project had taken into account the coming development of Minsk City, a large residential district and a business center to be crowned by a skyscraper.

He said that the new branch would help cut traffic at the Kastrychnitskaya/Kupalawskaya interchange stations.

Under Minsk's general development plan, the city subway is to include four branches 77 kilometers long in total with 58 stations. By 2025, there are to be some 50 stations at the three branches. //BelaPAN