Even those citizens who have never gone outside of Russia have heard that abroad they have to shell out for traveling on roads, as well as for using bridges and tunnels. Now in our renewed Russia, agile businessmen have begun to charge money for traveling on roads. A vivid example of this is the M4 highway (Don). Paid areas on it appeared in 1998. Now there are over 530 km of them on this road, and in the near future there will be almost twice as many. What, in addition to payment, do these sites differ from alternative free ones? Is there any benefit from using them? How can drivers who do not want to lay out their hard-earned money get to the destination without paying anything? Let's figure it out.
Historical reference
The M4 highway, whose paid sections are now causing so much controversy, leads from Moscow to Novorossiysk through such large cities as Voronezh, Rostov-on-Don and the southern capital of Russia Krasnodar. Its length is 1543.7 km. Part of this route from Moscow to Rostov-on-Don was once called highway number 5 and was built in the late sixties of the last century. During this period, the road was two-lane, with a width of only 7 meters. During the years of perestroika, the construction of its understudy began, on which traffic lights were not installed, that is, they tried to make it high-speed. In 1990, 18.4 km were commissioned, including two sections in the Domodedovo area. Until 2000, the development of the M4 highway actively continued, as a result of which the road became 500 km longer and stretched to Dzhugba, plus it included a piece of Sukhumi highway to Novorossiysk, and 135 km of understudy sections with a track of up to 8 lanes appeared. They were built in the Moscow and Tula regions with funds from the state budget. At that time, no money was levied for travel on the M4.
Paid areas
As a result of road construction manipulations, it significantly increased its throughput and the M4 highway became more convenient. Paid sites on it began to appear in 1998. The first was only 20 km long and circled the village of Khlevnoye. This piece of path was opened with pathos, since it became the first toll road in all of Russia. Since the 2000s, reconstruction with the construction of bypass sections has been carried out with enviable activity. The result was immediately two paid sites:
1. At 225.6-260 kilometers (detour length of 35 km of the city of Bogoroditsk). Now, from MKAD to it, almost the entire stretch of the route is paid (except for a small piece 14 km long from the intersection of M4 with the road to Uzlovaya to the intersection with the road to the village of Chernaya Gryaz).
2. At 287.8-321.3 kilometers (detour length of 34 km of the town of Efremov).
Now drivers of cars pay here from 35 rubles, depending on the time of day and class of car, and truck drivers - from 240 rubles.
Innovations of Avtodor
In 2010, the Avtodor company became the manager of the Don highway, which has a very positive attitude towards toll roads for drivers.
The company's specialists first of all conducted an analysis of the condition of the road and began to repair it, simultaneously building new bypass routes. As a result, the M4 highway has become better, but also more expensive . Paid areas since 2010 appeared on such kilometers:
- 330.8-414.7 (detour of the village of Yarkino and the city of Yelets).
- 416.9-464 (detour of Zadonsk).
Bypassing the glorious city of Voronezh, several paid sites were built with a total length of 141 km. They begin at 492 km, and end at 633 km, skirting Voronezh, Novaya Usman and Rogachevka. The free inserts here are very short, so the three payment points are set almost one after the other.
M4 highway , paid sections (2016)
The Avtodor company is going to continue to reduce segments of the route on the Don highway that can be traveled for free. So, in 2016, two new sections with a total length of 190 km became paid. The first starts at 21 km (immediately beyond the MKAD) and lasts 72 km. The second starts from this road rapper and extends another 118 km. You have to pay for crossing the barrier twice, the first time - from 50 to 140 rubles, the second time - from 80 to 450 rubles. In total, until 2020, Avtodor is going to make paid 892 km. Now their length is 531 km. Some drivers are interested in what Avtodor employees will do if they drive to a toll station and say that the money was accidentally forgotten at home. The answer will not please - such drivers will be forced to go back, but no one will raise the coveted barrier for them.
How many paid sections on the M4 highway (Don)
Summing up the foregoing, we can calculate that today, on the way from Moscow to Rostov-on-Don, 9 paid sections will have to be overcome. By region, they are distributed as follows:
- 2 in Moscow;
- 2 in Tula;
- 2 in Lipetsk;
- 3 in Voronezh.
In addition, 5 paid exits to the highway were opened in the Lipetsk region.
In general, now you will have to pay for a fare from Moscow to Rostov-on-Don for a passenger car from 510 rubles, and for trucks - from 2660 rubles one way, but it is quite possible that prices will change.
Road quality
Drivers simultaneously with the question, how many paid sections on the M4 highway, are interested in the question of what they have to pay for. From MKAD to the exit to the village of Vidnoe, there are 8 lanes on the road. Further, to Saratov - 6 lanes, and after - 4 lanes. According to drivers, the quality of the roadway is good, but the speed on paid sections is allowed no more than 110 km / h. Along the track there are unequipped toilets, gas stations, and cafes. In addition, there are points where you can call a tow truck, tanker or repair team. The disadvantage of toll roads (except for the price) are the lines at the payment points, and the transponder does not always help out, since there is no perfect system for using it yet.
The free road has mainly 4-5 lanes (3 or 2 in one direction, 2 in the other), in some sections there are only 2 (one to the south and north). The quality of the canvas throughout is satisfactory, because road services are also involved in repair work here. Along the road, as on the paid M4, there are cafes, gas stations, non-equipped toilets. You can drive along this highway at a speed of 90 km / h. The inconvenience is created by large trucks, which are abundant here. On average, the loss of time bypassing the toll road is about half an hour.
How to go around the toll road from MKAD to Kashira
Recall that from the point where the Moscow Ring Road intersects with Lipetskaya Street, the M4 highway originates. Paid sections are open from the 21st km, but so far Avtodor has blocked the road with barriers and installed the first payment point only at the 62nd km. Therefore, from the Moscow Ring Road to the intersection with A107 (this is the 51st km of the M4 highway) you can go for free. Also, exits in the direction of Vidnoye (at the 22nd and 24th kilometers), exits in the direction of Domodedovo (this is at the 31st, then at the 34th and 46th kilometers) and the exit at A107 are not yet paid. Those who go further from the MKAD can travel for free along the Kashirskoye Shosse to the settlement of Sitne-Shchelkanovo. Further, at the fork, the road will go towards Stupino. Here, at the intersection in front of the railway, you need to turn onto Victory Avenue, return to Kashirskoye Shosse and follow it to the final destination. The disadvantage of the route is the rather large load of the Kashirskoye highway and, as a result, frequent traffic jams. Now the reconstruction of this road is underway, so if it is left free, it will be a good option.
How to go around the paid M4, following to Bogoroditsk and Efremov
There are several options for detouring toll sites on the M4 highway. So, by following to Bogoroditsk and further you can use the directions indicated above. This means that you need to go along Kashirskoye Shosse to Stupino, turn there onto Pobedy Avenue, return to Kashirskoye Shosse without stopping in Kashira, follow the fork in front of Zendikovo village, turn onto Voronezhskoye Shosse or continue along Kashirskoye to P22, leading off from M4 further and further. In the Venev area, this distance is approximately 30 km. In order to get to Bogoroditsk by this route, you will have to stumble along country roads, the quality of which is far from satisfactory, and in addition, “wind” extra kilometers.
Some drivers advise driving to Bogoroditsk and nearby settlements for free along Simferopol highway (M2). The condition of the roadway here is excellent, the speed can be developed up to 90 km / h. After Tula, you need to turn onto the road leading to Bolokhovo and go along it to the Black Dirt. There will be an exit to the free M4 site. The difference is a few kidometers. Those who need Efremov can, following the same M2, without stopping to bypass Tula, Shchekino and turn right at the intersection in the village of Lukino. From there, a practically direct road leads to Efremov.
How to get around the M4, following to Voronezh
The shortest distance from the capital to Voronezh is 516 km. On this long journey, it’s hard to go around every toll section of the road. The M4 highway from MKAD to Voronezh runs past Bogoroditsk and Efremov. We described above how you can get to these settlements for free. Despite some difference in mileage, many drivers choose Simferopol highway, which is quite pleasant to drive along. The number of lanes in this segment varies between 2 and 4, the condition of the canvas is good, there are many gas stations and cafes along the highway. Follow it further to the village. Lukino is unreasonable, because in order to return to the M4, you will have to make a solid detour. If you follow this route up to 321 km (the end of the Efremov bypass, the difference in mileage will be only about 7 km (about 307 km along the M2 and about 300 km along the M4). Then you can drive 9 km along the free section of the Don ". Having reached the exit onto the toll road, do not turn onto it, but continue along the railroad tracks, pass Yarkino, cross the Sukhoi Kolodets creek, railroad tracks, go around Yelets along its outskirts, the Bystrya Sosna river, get closer again from M4, drive through Zadonsk, Khlevnoye, the free section of M4 and, without leaving for a paid section, with . Redo the road to Voronezh difference in the mileage of the route is very small, but the roadway is much worse than the toll road The second disadvantage -. Plug in Zadonsk and loss of time for the passage of Hlevnoe and Voronezh.
How to go around the M4, following to Rostov
A detour of toll areas on the M4 highway (Don) ends in the Voronezh region, at the 633rd kilometer. You can go further south. Now a new section of the toll road is being designed to bypass the city of Pavlovsk, but so far it is not there. To go to the free M4 from Voronezh, you need to pass another 3 paid sections. Two of them - through Novaya Usman and Rogachevka - can be passed without difficulty. As a result, the last 89 km remain. Going around them with small losses will not work. If you turn left at Rogachevka at P298, you have to make a big hook. There are no convenient turns to the right here. Therefore, a detour must begin from Voronezh. There are two options here - left on highway 193 or right in the direction of the village of Liski. Both of these options are inconvenient due to the large extra mileage and poor roads.