Route M 54 (current code - P257), also called the Yenisei, connects Krasnoyarsk with Abakan and then goes to the Republic of Mongolia. The total length of the route is 1075 km (according to other sources - 1113 km). The total number of gas stations along the highway is 12. Of these, 10 belong to Rosneft, and the remaining 2 to Gazprom Neft. The condition of the M 54 highway is good.
Track Features
Track number M 54 can be used until January 1, 2018. The road passes through Krasnoyarsk, Abakan, Kyzyl, Chadan, Handagayty and further to the border with Mongolia. In the case of heavy snowfalls, it happens that the M 54 highway is closed for some time.
The section of the highway between Abakan and Kyzyl has the historical name Usinsky tract. This is the main route connecting the Republic of Tuva with other Russian regions. The track runs through the Sayan Mountains.
This route is recognized as one of the most picturesque, both in Russia and in the world. Therefore, it is recommended to drive through it to anyone who wants to take a beautiful photo or just enjoy the views.
History of the route M 54
The oldest is the 387 km stretch of Abakan-Kyzyl. It was built in 1914-1917, and in 1932 it was adapted for the movement of cars. The 408 km section of Krasnoyarsk-Abakan was laid in 1966.
Since January 1, 2017, the track has slightly changed. A new route was laid for its southern part. This happened after this site became the property of the Republic of Tuva.
Sections of the track
The Yenisei highway can be conditionally divided into sections between the most important settlements located along it. There will be about 20 of them. The highway begins at the fork with the S25 federal highway P255. Further to Abakan there will be 7 sections with a total length of 408 km. There will be another 7 sections between Abakan and Kyzyl, the total length of which is 387 km. From the city of Kyzyl to the border with Mongolia there will be 4 more sections, the total length of which is 318 km.
Track Description
The first section of the M 54 highway, if you go from Krasnoyarsk, will be 35 km. The direction of movement is from east to west along the right bank of the Yenisei. Near the Krasnoyarsk ES there will be a bridge across this river. After that there will be a serpentine and mountainous sections, and then the road will leave to the village. Balakhta, and further - to s. Novoselovo. Both are part of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Near Novosyolovo (Legostaevo) is a non-functioning traffic police post.
Further, the highway M 54 (Abakan-Legostaevo) enters the territory of the Republic of Khakassia. The city of Chernogorsk will be on the right side of the road. In the region of Abakan, the highway crosses the Yenisei again and enters the territory of the Krasnoyarsk Territory again.
The next settlement after Abakan is Minusinsk. It can be circled to the side or crossed. After that, the route was laid along the forest-steppe territory in the foothill zone of the Sayan Mountains. The direction of movement in this section is southeast. After 46 km of track in this direction there will be a large village Shushenskoye. After another 80 km - the district center Ermakovskoe.
Just before entering the Sayan mountain system, there will be a Tanzibey village, near which there are a large number of eateries. Further, a difficult mountain section of the road will begin with a gradual ascent to the Buibinsky Pass. In addition to lifting, there are many loop-like bends and sharp turns. Directly on the pass, the most powerful avalanche station in Russia works, and at the very top of the pass there is a chapel. Here the former governor of the region, General Lebed, was tragically killed.
Behind the pass is the Ergaki Recreation Area. Below the road goes through the dark coniferous taiga. Then there will be the village of Aradan, which is located on the river Us. Even lower is a fork to the large village of Usinskoye, and then ascent to Solnechny Pass.
The vegetation here becomes more arid: dark coniferous taiga is replaced by light coniferous on the basis of larch, sometimes mixed with birch and pine. After the descent into the valley, there is again an ascent to the pass, this time with the name Nolevka. There is already a border with Tuva.
After a long descent, there will be a permanent traffic police post, after which the steppe and further the city of Turan begins. Then climb to the Kamenny pass. First, along the road there will be larch woodlands, and then (to Kyzyl) - a dry mountain steppe and constant elevations.
A few kilometers in front of Kyzyl is a road junction. Further, the route bypasses the city and follows a flat steppe territory. The direction of the route is from north to south. After there is a climb to the pass, on which the taiga grows. After the descent - the district center Samagaltai. The predominant landscape will be semi-deserts. Further movement along the highway to the south will lead to the Erzin district center. The last point of the route is 56 km from this settlement - on the border with Mongolia.
Telecom operators on the highway
The territory through which the route passes is served by several mobile operators. These are Beeline, Megafon, MTS and Tele2. In some areas, there is no connection. There are three such sites: in the Tandym region, south of Ermakovsky right up to the Nolevka pass and on the site between us. Sush and Kyzyl points.