«It carries a huge volume of traffic»: Sukhomlyn says that the «Mykolaiv–Odesa» road is set to become a toll motorway

Construction of the four-lane Dnipro–Kyiv motorway. Photo: Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration

The government plans to introduce toll motorways on the Mykolaiv–Odesa and Odesa–Reni roads.

This was announced by Serhii Sukhomlyn, head of the State Agency for Reconstruction, in an interview with «Novyny Live».

This issue is currently being discussed with the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. However, he added, the implementation of such projects is currently being held back by the risks of war: it is difficult for investors to insure their investments, and there are no guarantees of a return on investment.

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«This is a very real prospect. Even now, international businesses and some funds are already beginning to discuss the construction of such roads. There is a war in the country today. It is clear that issues of insurance and the return of funds are significantly limiting this process. But as for the routes, it is clear that this will involve connections with Europe. What we are currently considering together with major donors — the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development — could be the «Odesa-Reni» route. It is also needed for the development of Ukraine and the ports of the Odesa region. This is the ‘Mykolaiv-Odesa’ road, which carries a huge load from agricultural exporters sending their produce to Ukrainian ports. And there are many other roads that can give people the opportunity to travel safely, and most importantly, quickly. And at the same time, by saving on fuel, which is also not cheap these days, to get from point A to point B,» said Serhii Sukhomlyn.

What is known about the widening of the Mykolaiv—Odesa motorway to four lanes?

In 2020, the head of the Servant of the People parliamentary faction, Davyd Arakhamiia, stated that the section of the M-14 motorway from Mykolaiv to Odesa would be widened to four lanes. Funding for the project will be included in the 2021 state budget.

He noted that the expansion of the motorway would help reduce the number of accidents on the Mykolaiv-Odesa section, which has a reputation as the «road of death».

In September 2021, the heads of the Mykolaiv, Odesa and Kherson regional state administrations appealed to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy with a request to widen the M-14 motorway to four lanes.

As early as December 2021, responding to journalists’ questions, the head of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration, Vitalii Kim, said that he wanted to be remembered by the region’s residents for the infrastructure projects he had implemented, such as the four-lane motorway to Odesa.

In December 2024, at a briefing, Vitalii Kim stated that the project to build a new four-lane motorway connecting Mykolaiv with Odesa has currently been suspended. According to him, the implementation of this and other major projects in the region has been put on hold due to a lack of funding and the current security situation.

The Mykolaiv region is currently in talks with a South Korean company regarding the construction of this four-lane motorway.