By Yuri Ivanov
Taking part in the motor rally are 12 teams, from Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan. The crews will be accompanied by mobile laboratories assessing road conditions. The Belarusian team comprises specialists from Belgiprodor and Beldortsentr, as well as road construction trusts from Gomel and Mogilev.
The decision to hold the motor rally was made at the 33rd session of the Intergovernmental Council of Road Workers, in October 2012: upheld by the road administrations of our three states. The 5,500km route spans Brest, Minsk, Smolensk, Mozhaisk, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Orenburg, Aktobe, Kyzylorda, Turkestan, Shymkent, Taraz and Almaty. Starting at the most western point of the Customs Union, the motor rally will finish near the Chinese border, in Kazakhstan’s city of Khorgas, on September 7th.
The goal of the rally is to detect possible administrative barriers to international road haulage along the Western Europe-Western China transport corridor and to survey road infrastructure. Customs procedures, traffic safety and environmental protection during road construction and exploitation will all come under scrutiny.
The Belarusian route takes in the M1/E30 motorway, which has four lanes along its whole length and which complies with European standards. Traffic intensity on several sections reaches 6,000 vehicles daily, about a third being transit transport. Road maintenance, the toll system and roadside services are all assessed.
Around 50 people are starting from Brest, being joined by others as the rally continues East. Up to 200 people are expected to arrive in Kazakhstan, with a summary report then prepared. This will outline the major problems of international road travel and will offer recommendations for improvement.
