Minsk highway: history, construction, current state

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:43

There are many interesting places in the suburbs. Many of them can be seen when traveling along such a road as the Minsk highway. This track has existed for quite a long time and is very popular because it is well landscaped. The highway passes through incredibly beautiful places, here you can see truly breathtaking landscapes. Almost along its entire length, the road is well repaired, which allows you to comfortably get to the necessary points along it.

Minsk highway: a little about the road

So, it's worth telling more about this track. It also has another name - M-1 "Belarus". The highway passes through the Moscow and Smolensk regions. It reaches the border with the Republic of Belarus. Many are interested in how long the road is. This highway really has a considerable length - about 440 kilometers. According to many reports, soon, in 2018, most of the highway will be paid.

For what purpose was the highway built?

Now it's worth talking about the history of this highway. Sometimes you can hear that this object does not have a special history, since the road is relatively young, it was built in the 30s of the XX century. This is not entirely true, since even in such a period of time many interesting and important historical events have happened here. In addition, there are a huge number of cultural and historical monuments in this direction in the Moscow region.

Initially, there was no task to lay exactly the Minsk highway. It was decided to build it only after a series of actions were taken to change the existing Mozhaisk highway. It was considered inconvenient because it ran through many settlements. Because of this, the throughput and speed of movement were noticeably reduced. Previously, Mozhayskoye Highway was called Smolenskaya Road. It was actively used during the war of 1812 and the Great Patriotic War. It was in this direction that the main battles took place.

However, in peacetime, the Smolensk road was no longer enough for a full-fledged movement. In this regard, the authorities decided to build a new highway that would be absolutely straight.

Construction of the highway

So, the reasons for the construction of this road were discussed in detail. Laying the highway, as already mentioned, began in the 30s of the XX century. This direction has always been actively used by summer residents. Plots along the Minsk highway have always been popular; there are many old settlements and garden associations here. The road was built by Gulag prisoners. Finished this global construction almost straight awaybefore the war, in 1941. During the Great Patriotic War, the new highway was of great strategic importance. Then the highway consisted of paving stones and had 2 lanes, one in each direction. On some parts of the road, closer to Moscow, there were sections covered with cement concrete. It is curious that the supports of bridges across rivers and ravines were then still made of wood. At that time, there was already a lack of funds, which, of course, affected the construction of the road. However, despite this, it was recognized as one of the best highways in the country.

After the war, the road, of course, was in poor condition. There were traces of shells on it, it was badly damaged by tank tracks and other military equipment. It took many years to restore the highway, it was completed already in 1980.

Route route

Of course, it is worth talking separately about the route along which the track passes. This road starts from the important intersection of the Moscow Ring Road - the Minsk highway. Then the highway passes through the territory of the Moscow region, near the cities of Odintsovo, Kubinka and Mozhaisk. Further, the Minsk highway goes through the territory of the Smolensk region, it also passes near a number of cities, such as Gagarin, Vyazma, etc. The road goes to the border of Russia with the Republic of Belarus.

However, the highway does not end there, it has a continuation in the form of the Belarusian highway called M1. If you look at its continuation to the east, it will be the federal highway M5 "Ural".

What sights can be seen onMinsk Highway?

So, it has already been said above that during its short time of existence, the road has already managed to take part in the war. That is why along the highway you can often see monuments dedicated to the Great Patriotic War. For example, at 72 km of the Minsk highway there is a monument to military road builders, at 86 km of the highway there is a monument to Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya, the heroine of the Great Patriotic War. At 187 km of the highway, you can see a monument dedicated to the Patriotic War of 1812. There are also many picturesque places in this direction, so sections along the Minsk highway have always been very popular. Also, by modern standards, this is one of the cleanest destinations in terms of ecology.

Going on a trip along the Minsk highway, you can also visit many interesting cities, such as Vyazma or Smolensk. Vyazma has long been known for its unusually beautiful architecture. Smolensk is a large city that also has a rich and ancient history.

Current condition of the road

Thus, a large amount of information was considered about how and for what purposes the Minsk highway appeared. Moscow is a kind of center where many highways intersect. Many of them are currently being reconstructed.

Now it's worth considering what the Minsk highway looks like. The road has 4 lanes along its entire length, 2 lanes in each direction. In some sections in the Smolensk region there is a dividing strip in the middle of the highway. A separator (in the form of a bump stop) is also present on the segment from the Moscow Ring Road to 20 kilometers.