M10 highway (Russia)

M10 Federal Highway M10
Федеральная автомобильная дорога M10
Russia–Scandinavia Highway
Route information
Length:	872 km (542 mi)
Major junctions
South end:	Moscow
North end:	Finnish border
Highway system
Russian Federal Highways

The M10 is a federal highway in Russia connecting the country's two largest cities, Moscow and Saint Petersburg, and continuing to the border with Finland. Other than in the vicinity of Moscow and Saint Petersburg, the M10 is basically a two-lane highway (one lane for each direction), with an occasional third centre lane to allow overtaking or for left-turning traffic at intersections.

Route

Mosсow to Saint Peterburg

The distance from Moscow to Saint Petersburg by M10 is approximately 700 km, some sources claim it is less, while some claim it is more.

The M10 near Novgorod

The route runs through or near the cities and settlements of Khimki, Zelenograd, Solnechnogorsk, Klin, Tver, Torzhok, Vyshny Volochyok, Valdai, Krestsy, Velikiy Novgorod, Chudovo, Tosno and reaches the city border of Saint Petersburg in the Pushkinsky District, Saint Peterburg. The section of M10 between Moscow and St Petersburg is known as "Russia" (Russian: Россия) highway and is part of European route E105.

In Moscow, the Leningrad Highway (Russian: Ленинградское шоссе), begins from a junction of Leningradsky Prospekt avenue with the Volokolamsk Highway To the Moscow centre, the avenue continues into 1st Tverskaya-Yamskaya Street and then Tverskaya Street to Manege Square in the heart of the city.

The 'unofficial' end of the highway is since the Tsars' era commonly considered to be the Central Post Office of Saint Petersburg (Russian: Главпочтамт). Actually the Moscow Highway begins from the Victory Square in Moskovsky raion in the southern part of the city and Moskovsky Prospekt avenue which begins in the city centre on Sennaya Square, connects the highway with the centre of Saint Petersburg.

The new 4 lane toll road parallel to M10 is claimed to be built by 2013.^[1] For now, only the part nearest to Moscow - from the city to Sheremetyevo airport - is under construction, and the construction was hindered by the public protests in the town of Khimki as well as resistant actions of environmentalists.

Saint Petersburg to the border with Finland

From Saint Petersburg city centre to the Finnish border the distance is approximately 210 km. The route section between Saint Petersburg, and the border with Finland is known as the "Scandinavia" (Russian: Скандинавия) highway and is officially renamed to route A181, but the designation M10 is valid until December 31, 2017 as well ^[2]. This section is a part of the European route E18. News about the plans to expand this route section to a motorway with three lanes in each direction has came out in August 2011^[3].

References

1. ^ РИАНовости (RIANews) Будущая платная трасса Москва-Петербург (in Russian)
2. ^ http://www.kodeks-luks.ru/ciws/site?tid=0&nd=902246832&prevDoc=902246832&mark=0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000065E0IS#I0
3. ^ http://www.baltinfo.ru/2011/08/18/Trassu-Skandinaviya-rekonstruiruyut-i-rasshiryat-do-shesti-polos-223520