Tauris is the old name of the Crimean peninsula. So it has been called since the time when these fertile territories were inhabited by a nation with a similar name.
There is a beautiful legend about how the Greek god Dionysos harnessed two bulls and plowed the fields of the peninsula, since then his inhabitants began to be called Taurus (from the word "taurus" - a bull). In fact, Tavria, Tavrida is the land of bulls and plowmen.
A bit of history
The Crimean peninsula has always been a tidbit for the great states. Taurida at different times was inhabited by completely different peoples: Scythians, Greeks, Sarmatians, Goths and many others. Each nation brought something special to the appearance and culture of the peninsula.
The change of power at all times took place with a sword and blood. The conquerors succeeded each other with enviable regularity. Crimea belonged to Greece, Byzantium, Kievan Rus, Polovtsy, was an autonomous Crimean Khanate, was part of the Russian Empire and the USSR. Many troubles have befallen this small, but advantageously located patch of land. And now Crimea is going through hard times, since not everyone appreciated the voluntary entry into Russia.
Russian Crimea: development prospects
March 16, 2014 is a date of great importance for Crimeans. This is a kind of point of no return, behind Ukraine and the European Union, ahead of Russia. The population of the peninsula has expressed its will and has been living under the Russian tricolor for almost 3 years.
Modern Tauris is a rapidly developing tourism, the construction of new roads, the revival of agriculture, the reconstruction of electricity networks and water supply systems.
The funds allocated by Russia for the needs of Crimea are striking in the number of zeros. Grandiose projects and talented specialists will soon transform the lands that have joined the Southern Federal District.
The years of desolation were not in vain, work on the restoration of the peninsula is going on in all directions. Viticulture in Koktebel is being actively revived, the Zaliv shipyard is being reconstructed, and uninterrupted power supply to the Crimea from the south of Russia has been established.
There are only about 300 development projects of this or that branch in this region, and each of them is worthy of a separate story.
Federal highway "Tauris"
The new highway will pass in the immediate vicinity of such large cities as:
- Kerch;
- Theodosius;
- Belogorsk;
- Simferopol;
- Bakhchisaray;
- Sevastopol
According to the plan, a high-speed motorway will not affect settlements, communicating with them only by secondary roads. So, according to the Tavrida project, Yalta and Alushta will have access to this federal highway via the existing trolleybus line.
The designed highway will have access to yet another sensational Crimean construction facility - the Kerch Bridge, while it will not cross either the railway part of the crossing or secondary roads.
A four-lane new highway will provide a non-traffic mode of traffic; dozens of transport interchanges and other auxiliary facilities will be erected along the entire length.
Construction time
The final version of this ambitious project should go through an expert commission before the end of March 2017. Preparatory work is already underway on the site that will connect the Kerch Bridge with the main road artery of Crimea.
After all approvals, the construction will be carried out in full force, in order to comply with all the deadlines allotted for it. The “narrow” version is planned to be launched in 1.5 years, the completion of construction is scheduled for 2020.
Construction stages
The first stage in the implementation of the Tavrida project will be a two-lane highway, completely repeating the route of the new road. Some areas will be subject to reconstruction, others will be built from scratch. This decision was made, because immediately after that it will be possible to quickly put into operation such a grandiose plan as the Tavrida highway. Crimea will receive a modern highway with a length of 260 km, with a new modern coating and a permissible speed of 140 km / h. This will solve the problems of traffic jams and significantly reduce the travel time.
According to the designers, the Tavrida road will not require major repairs and any financial investments for the next 40 years. The latest road surface promises to be significantly more wear-resistant than the materials that were used before.
The second stage of the Tavrida project is the laying of two more lanes. It would seem that it could be called final, but not so simple. The load on the first two, built earlier, will be so enormous that by the time the second stage is completed, they may need some repairs, this will be the third stage.
The final touch will be the construction of the necessary infrastructure. Gas stations, car services, roadside cafes and motels will grow along the highway. Along the entire length of the new autobahn, LED lights will illuminate, the stripes will be divided by double concrete blocks. The external fence will be a metal mesh, which will avoid a collision with animals that suddenly run out to the carriageway, and also make it impossible to cross the track in the wrong places.
Problems associated with the Tavrida project
As always, when carrying out construction work of this scale, designers are faced with discontented local people. It was in Sochi, there is in the Crimea. Some sections of the new road pass through villages and towns; some of the houses will inevitably have to be demolished. The owners are promised to pay compensation and give new housing, but how do you explain to people that they need to leave the lands on which their grandfathers and great-grandfathers lived? Their indignation can be understood.
Another problem encountered in Crimea is the acute shortage of local qualified personnel. Because of this, the money allocated for the preparatory part could not be fully spent on time.
Excessive workflow is not news in our country, he also affected Tavrida. Various approvals, amendments, signatures at different levels hinder the start of construction. The bureaucracy is probably one of the main problems regarding not only the Crimea, but also Russia as a whole.
With the commissioning of the Tavrida federal highway, Crimea will receive high-speed communication with almost all significant settlements of the peninsula. This will contribute to the development of tourism and greatly facilitate the life of the Crimeans themselves.