About 760 million rubles will be spent on the construction of the airport in Saburovka

The government of Saratov Governor Valery Radaev has secured the allocation of federal funds for the construction of a new airport in Saburovka, and some work on the site will begin this year. The regional administration hopes for the speedy completion of construction, but does not dare to talk about specific dates. Experts are afraid to talk about prospects until money from Moscow reaches the region.

The construction of infrastructure at the site of the future airport in Saburovka will begin this year. At an extended meeting with Deputy Chairman of the Regional Government for Infrastructure Yuri Moiseev, where, in addition to relevant ministers, representatives of resource supply, construction and design organizations of the region were present, details of the implementation of the first stage of construction of the airport complex were discussed.

This year, 500 million rubles will be allocated from the federal budget for the construction of a new airport in Saratov. The budget of the Saratov region has allocated 259 million rubles for these purposes. These funds will be used to develop design estimates and create infrastructure. In particular, at the first stage, access roads should be organized and a water intake station built.

The total cost of the project, according to the regional government, is 15.6 billion rubles. It is expected that the federal budget will allocate 4.9 billion rubles for these purposes, the regional treasury - 4.4 billion rubles, and the remaining 6.3 billion rubles should be received from extra-budgetary sources. Federal funds will be used to build a runway, aircraft parking areas and three taxiways. The region is “responsible” for carrying out design work, creating infrastructure and constructing the airport terminal building. Private investors will be allowed to build service, technical, transport, logistics and commercial facilities. The timing of the project has not yet been announced. Nevertheless, the government hopes that the long-term history of the project has finally reached its final stage. “I believe that the project will be implemented as quickly as possible,” said Alexey Korzh, press secretary of the regional transport committee. “Especially when you consider that the federal center has been cooperative.”

The project to build an airport in Saburovka was approved in 2009. By this time, the site had already been identified and survey work had been carried out. Construction was planned to begin in 2010, and the facility would be commissioned in 2014. But due to the crisis, the federal center suspended funding for a number of facilities within the federal program “Development of the Russian Transport System (2010-2015),” including in Saratov. Despite the lack of federal money, the regional government last year bought land from the owners for the construction of the project, spending 46.726 million rubles on this (60 million rubles were allocated to the regional budget for these purposes. - Kommersant). 47 plots with an area of 718 hectares became the property of the region: 29 of them belonged to various individuals, the rest were owned by the Saratov municipal district, which transferred them free of charge. Last year, a positive expert opinion was also received from the Federal State Institution “Glavogosexpertiza” on the project for the construction of the Central Airport in the village of Saburovka, Saratov Region.

In March 2012, it became clear that the Saratov project was again not included in the targeted federal program for the next three years. The regional government considered it pointless to spend funds from the regional treasury on a project that is not supported by the federal center, and excluded 249.9 million rubles earmarked for the new airport from the 2012 budget. It was proposed to leave only 10 million rubles, which were to be spent on a feasibility study.

However, in April 2012, after the new governor Valery Radaev took office, the question of the need to speed up the implementation of the project was raised again. Mr. Radaev called for intensifying work with the federal center and investors, noting that the main task is to achieve inclusion in the federal program, since without this private business will not be interested in the project. In a short time, the governor held several meetings in Moscow, after which the federal center changed its attitude towards the Saratov project.

Political scientist Dmitry Oleinik notes that Moscow’s decision to allocate funds for the airport is associated with a change of power in the region, “when it is necessary to show the effectiveness of the work of the new team.” However, the expert is not sure that the problem has been completely resolved. “This is not the first time that decisions to allocate money have been made, but as a result of various changes in the program, funding is reduced or completely canceled by the end of the year. Now we are talking about only part of the funds needed to implement the project. Moreover, even this part has not yet arrived in the region, he said. “I hope that the unpleasant circumstance that the airport in Saburovka was not included in the list of important facilities for the country will not serve as a basis for refusing to finance the project.”

Anna Insarova

Flights are waiting in reality