Baikal tract: reconstruction (photo)

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

The Baikal Highway is far from the longest in the Irkutsk region, and even more so in Russia. It connects only one city with several settlements, but it has federal significance. About 20,000 cars pass through it every day.

The reason for such a high status is simple: the end point of the route, the place of its completion is the popular tourist village of Listvyanka, located between the rocks and Lake Baikal. This is the shortest way to the deepest lake. In addition, in the middle of a picturesque forest on both sides of the highway, there are cottage villages - these are ideal places for those who like to live in the fresh air, a short drive from the city.

History of the Baikal tract

The Baikal tract was laid in the 18th century, then it had a different name - Overseas. The place where the Baikal tract begins is Irkutsk: the road connected the city with the Trans-Baikal Territory, it could only be used in winter, when the ice on the lake rose - beyond Listvyanka, the route went through the icy expanses of Baikal. They carried mainly mail, travelers and prisoners. In summer, communication between regions was carried out usingshipping company.

For a long time the road remained a country road, asph alt appeared here only in the 60s of the last century. It is curious that the Irkutsk people should thank the Americans for the appearance of an asph alt road in the region: the region was preparing for a hypothetical visit of an American delegation led by the president to Lake Baikal, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Americans never arrived, but the residents of the Irkutsk region received an excellent 68-kilometer road for use. A trip along the Baikal tract to the lake has become an obligatory attribute of visiting Irkutsk.

Main settlements along the road

The most populated area is up to 12 km of the Baikal tract: here are the cottage settlements Novorozvodnaya, Molodezhny, Novaya Lisikha. Citizens willingly choose these places: the villages are only a 10-minute drive from the city, while the air here is fresh, and the nature is as unique as on Baikal itself.

Further along the highway there are villages: Burdakovka, Butyrki, Burduguz, Bolshaya Rechka, Angarsk farms, Nikola. The tract ends in the village of Listvyanka near the shores of Lake Baikal.

Project "Baikal tract": reconstruction

The question of the reconstruction of the highway has long been acute: the highway is overgrown with new villages and districts every year, more than 15 thousand people live up to 28 kilometers. At the same time, there were no interchanges until recently, complex intersections, especially at the beginning, were madedangerous Baikal tract. Reconstruction was only a matter of time and funding. The hilly track was full of twists and turns, with only one narrow lane in each direction, making the road dangerous and deadly, with dozens of people killed every year.

The Baikal Highway project involved several stages. The first, concerning the busiest part from 8 to 12 km of the route, began in June 2015. The road service of the Irkutsk region promised to finish the large-scale project of increasing the carriageway by the end of October, however, a section with a total length of about 9 kilometers was commissioned ahead of schedule. In addition to the reconstructed road about 4 kilometers long, 2 modern transport interchanges were built, culverts, two overpasses were laid, and bright lighting was installed. The highway has been transformed and changed beyond recognition: the roads have become wide and safe thanks to lighting and a dividing strip. Interchanges are carefully thought out: the lanes do not intersect anywhere, the traffic is balanced, and the main directions are unloaded.

Planned continuation of the route reconstruction

The Baikalsky Trakt project, the reconstruction of which has not been completed, was planned until 2017, so work will still be underway up to 39 kilometers. In the near future, the road service of the Irkutsk region is going to take up the section of the road from 12 to 17 kilometers, the next stage will be the section from 17 to 21 kilometers of the Baikal tract. The road will be widened to four lanes, along the route there will also belighting has been installed, the construction of two two-level modern interchanges is planned.

Beautification of the Baikal tract is an expensive project. The highway runs along the forest, and in order to increase its capacity, it is necessary to carry out geodetic work to clear and prepare the space on both sides of the road.

Baikal highway and M55 highway

The Baikal Highway is part of the M55 highway connecting Irkutsk and Chita for more than a thousand kilometers. The road goes around Baikal from the south, crosses Buryatia, the Selenga and Khilok rivers. Thus, along this route you can get to Transbaikalia, bypassing the lake.

The road is very picturesque: the mixed forest on the territory of the Irkutsk region is replaced by steppes, framed by the high peaks of the Tunka valley in Buryatia. Horses graze along the road, houses stand - monuments of Siberian and Buryat architecture. In Kultuk, the southernmost point of Baikal, travelers have a breathtaking view of the lake: the endless expanses of Baikal on the horizon blend with the blue sky, the rocks with snowy peaks emphasize the grandeur and perfection of the nature of these places.

However, the route is fraught with many dangers for travelers: a narrow and winding road, steep descents and ascents, areas with limited visibility - all this requires maximum concentration and care from the driver.

Destination of the Baikal Highway

The village of Listvyanka is the final destination to which the Baikal tract leads. Reconstruction duringin many ways became possible thanks to this small village, which has become the "tourist Mecca" of Siberia. This route is the shortest way to get to the shore of Lake Baikal. The high-speed road is able to deliver to these unique places from Irkutsk in just an hour. In Listvyanka, you can comfortably relax in one of the high-class hotels, try hot and cold smoked Baikal omul, buy souvenirs, and relax on the beach.

Rest in Listvyanka

There are a number of museums and monuments of architectural heritage in Listvyanka: the old wooden church of St. Nicholas, the Nerpinary, the Baikal Museum, the Astrophysical Observatory. Here is the legendary shaman-stone, which has become a central figure in the culture of the local population. According to the legends, when the naughty daughter of the old Baikal Angara (the only river flowing from the lake) decided to escape from under the protection of a strict father, he threw a stone after her. Now this stone is located in the place where this river originates, it can be easily seen from one of the many observation platforms.