Route M-7 is a federal highway that runs through such large cities as Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Ufa, Kazan and Vladimir. Also, the road passes with entrances to a number of other cities, and part of the European route E22 belongs to E017.
Despite the fact that the Siberia, Irtysh, Amur and Baikal highways are continuations of the M-5, it is M- 7 as it provides the shortest route from Moscow to the eastern regions.
Basic information
This highway starts in the east of the capital, from the intersection of the Entuziastov highway and the Moscow Ring Road, but it should be noted that all distances are measured from the center of Moscow. In the future, the M-7 highway passes through the Vladimir, Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod regions, as well as the republics of Chuvashia, Tatarstan and Bashkortostan. Its total length is 1351 kilometers.
In addition, the highway also includes various access roads to:
- Ivanov, the length is 101 km;
- Cheboksaram, western entrance - 11 km,east – 3 km;
- Izhevsk, the length reaches 165 km;
- Perm, length 294 km.
It is also worth noting that the M-7 highway includes the Southern bypass of Vladimir with a length of 54 km, as well as Nizhny Novgorod, which has a length of 16 km.
The road itself passes through slightly hilly terrain, and in some areas there are steppe and wooded-marshy areas. The temperature conditions on this road are often exactly the same, and in January the average temperature is -10o C, and in July - +20o C.
For a long time, a project to extend the highway was hatched, and it was supposed to go from Ufa through the Zhukovsky interchange with the M-5 highway, as well as through the villages of Taptykovo, Berezovka, Zhukovo, Bulgakovo and further through Kartaly up to the Russian border with Kazakhstan. In the end, the M-7 Volga highway was never developed, because due to the existence of the ZATO Mezhgorie, the project was not approved, although the area of the design route in the area of the Zhukovsky interchange was nevertheless built up.
Moscow Region
Through the Vladimir and Moscow regions, this route passes through flat areas of swamps located in the Meshcherskaya lowland. Various watercourses that were changed during the construction process, as well as relatively high humidity, negatively affect the condition of the M-7 Volga highway. Within the boundaries of the region, the road is quite straight, and the only exception is the 52nd km, located underoverpass A-107, and does not have any strong longitudinal slopes. It is also worth noting that the road here passes through a fairly large number of settlements and traffic lights.
Almost throughout the entire territory on which the M-7 highway runs, the direction has at least four lanes, with each of them having a width of more than 3.5 meters. The entire section of the road is distinguished by an improved asph alt concrete surface, and in most dangerous and high-speed sections it is also equipped with an axial fence. In the period from 2005 to 2007, capital work was also carried out on the predominant majority of overpasses and bridges, and from 2006 to 2008 interchanges were also built on the 52nd km of the track. From May to June 2008, the pavement of the section from km 68 to km 79 was restored, and in autumn the bridge located at km 86 was also repaired.
In 2009, it was decided to repair the pavement, as well as install an axial fence at the 33-37th km section, and at the end of the year it was also decided to install specialized cameras for recording violations in especially dangerous areas. In 2010, we also installed axial barriers and an additional chamber stand located at km 66.
Special attention should be paid to the fact that the state of the M-7 highway is constantly updated and modernized. In 2012, a large-scale improvement of the lighting system was carried out, as well as traffic lights equipped with a specialized time meter were installed, and in the next year, an elevated pedestrian crossing was built.
Attractions
As mentioned above, there are manysignificant places near which the M-7 highway is located. The destination includes the following attractions:
- The estate of Princes Golitsins, which is located in Balashikha.
- The house where Sergei Fedorovich Pankratov lived, which is a unique manifestation of personal creativity.
- Assumption Church, located in the village of Bogoslovo, on the 64th kilometer of the way.
Vladimir region
The per-kilometer diagram of the M-7 Volga highway shows that in the Vladimir region the road differs in many respects from the Moscow one in that it passes through a more rugged terrain, which provides for the presence of a greater number of longitudinal slopes and bends, which can somewhat complicate the movement.
The section that runs from the border of the Vladimir region to Vladimir itself includes a fragment with a four-lane traffic. In this section, the construction of the M-7 bypass road was carried out in such a way that the dividing fences along the axis are encountered only periodically, and the traffic intensity in this section is approximately 40,000 vehicles per day. Due to the fact that the route is quite busy and insufficiently equipped, traffic along it is tense, and sometimes quite dangerous, especially in adverse weather conditions.
The southern bypass of the city of Vladimir, which has a length of 54 km, for the first fifteen kilometers has only a two-lane road, and the further section already has four lanes with a normaldividing line. It is worth noting that you can get to Nizhny Novgorod through the Southern Bypass of Vladimir, which was opened in 2001. You can also do this along the old section of the highway passing directly through Vladimir from the north side. It should be noted that its length is approximately 2 kilometers less compared to the Southern Bypass. After the repair of the M-7 highway, 15 traffic lights appeared on it, and as a result, traffic jams can be noticed during peak hours. Special attention should be paid to the fact that from the 193rd to the 222nd kilometer the road has only two lanes.
In the future, in the Vladimir region, the path passes along a fairly satisfactory four-lane highway, often with a dividing fence (not counting some settlements), so it does not cause any particular complaints.
Posts
The construction of the M-7 highway was carried out in parallel with the construction of posts, while the government made sure that there were enough of them to ensure the safest possible traffic. Thus, the following posts can be distinguished:
- At the junction of the Southern bypass near the village of Penkino and the northern bypass of Vladimir. In this place, a car radar or camera is often located behind the eighth lighting pillar, if you count in the direction from Moscow to Nizhny Novgorod.
- In the Vyaznikovsky district (approximately the 285th kilometer). A specially disguised tripod is installed here, which is located in the area of the village of Kourkovo in front of the overpass across the railway, and the crew itself isright next to the bridge. It should be noted that from time to time the direction of control may change, and sometimes it is carried out from the Moscow side, and sometimes from the Nizhny Novgorod side.
- In the village of Simontsevo (approximately the 276th kilometer). The duty post, together with the radar, is located in the gap between the dividing line opposite the cafe located in the center of the village. Here, control is already being carried out immediately over both directions of movement.
Nizhny Novgorod Region
It is worth noting that in the Nizhny Novgorod region, for the most part, a section of the highway is covered with a fairly good road. The total width of the canvas here is from two to six lanes, and its length itself is 250 kilometers. At the moment, this section of the route passes directly through Nizhny Novgorod, and every day more than 45,000 cars pass through the M-7 highway. Hotels are located almost along the entire stretch of the road, constantly accepting more and more new guests. The choice is large, you can choose the option according to your pocket.
South bypass
This is a relatively new bypass road, which includes a track section that fully meets all modern quality and safety requirements. According to the level of execution, it is a highway with a dividing lawn, as well as various metal fenders along the edges, having an embankment height of 12-22 m. It should be noted that this highway has not yet been completed to the end, therefore it breaks off at the intersection with the road R158. Afterthis was already indicated, they are already going to Bolshoye Mokroe and, approximately in the Kstovo area, they are leading to the main road.
Construction and reconstruction of the M-7 highway in the area of the Southern bypass has been going on since 1984. The first stage, which is 16 kilometers long, connected this road with P125, and its construction was carried out between 1984 and 1993, including a bridge over the Oka River. The second line, passing through P125 and P158, was 14.5 kilometers long and was completed in just two and a half years, and was opened in 2008. The third and fourth were never built due to the fact that the state could not finance construction work due to the economic crisis. In 2010, after a proposal from Sergei Ivanov, it was decided to work out a plan for the construction of the third stage, where public-private partnership with the further organization of paid travel should also be used. The third section was 46 kilometers long, and the cost of laying it is estimated at 20 billion rubles.
In early 2016, the construction of the third stage of the Southern bypass was already at the final stage. The roadbed and main engineering communications have already been laid, as well as artificial structures have been erected. Among the remaining work, it is worth noting the laying of two additional oil pipelines, as well as the construction of another power line, followed by laying the final layer of the roadway. Traffic on this section opens in 2016, and it is worth noting that the dates were originally scheduled for 2017. Workingthe movement should start by July 25, and the final commissioning will occur only at the end of August or the beginning of September, after the necessary tests have been carried out.
The fourth phase of the Southern Bypass is expected to be the longest and most costly section, and its length will be about 40 kilometers. Due to the construction of this section, it will subsequently be possible to provide a full-fledged bypass of Kstov and Nizhny Novgorod, providing access to the main M-7 Volga highway. Financing of this stage will be organized exclusively from the federal budget, and its construction is planned to be completed before the 2018 World Cup.
Nizhny Novgorod - border with Chuvashia
After Nizhny Novgorod, the route continues with the Kazanskoye Highway, after which it enters the Volga Upland. The photo of the M-7 highway clearly shows how the terrain changes noticeably, as a fairly large number of steep ascents and descents appear. The site has a fairly high accident rate, because the road has only two lanes, but there is no dividing line on it. The quality of the pavement is average, and only periodically the authorities carry out repairs. On this section of the road, you can only meet the urban settlement Vorotynets, as well as the cities of Lyskovo and Kstovo, through which the M-7 highway passes. Gas stations are also quite rare.
Chuvashia
The so-called Gorky highway passes through the Chuvash Republic, the lengthwhich ranges from 160 to 170 kilometers. On the way of this road there are a lot of geographical objects, including Cheboksary, the Sura River, the city of Tsivilsk and many others. Due to the fact that Chuvashia itself is characterized by a predominantly hilly-ravine relief, the road surface is not of the highest quality in many sections of the highway. In 2013, a bridge was built across Sura for vehicles to cross, and roads began to be built at various sections of the entrance to that bridge. At most major bypass road intersections, there is an established traffic light regulation, but it works mainly only during the day.
Bridge across the Volga
Before the construction of an automobile bridge across the Volga on the M-7 began, the route originally passed in Tatarstan, and again returned to Chuvashia approximately at a section of about the ninth kilometer. At the same time, two ferries were regularly launched, which could transport various trucks.
After the bridge near the village of Morkvashi Embankments was put into operation in 1990, the M-7 highway was changed, and a new section was built in Tatarstan, passing through a picturesque place at the renovated bridge crossing with Svyaga near Isakovo. In the future, a four-lane road begins in the Verkhneuslonsky district after the turn from Ulyanovsk.
The ferry crossing, which is located near Nizhniye Vyazovye, is still functioning, and one ferry for trucks, cars and pedestrians runs through it. In wintertime there it is customary to organize a special ice crossing, on which cars can move.
For some time, on various maps (including electronic ones), the M-7 highway near Türlema was indicated by two separate roads - this is a new one, which led to a bridge over the Volga River, and an old one, going via a ferry to Zelenodolsk.
Tatarstan
After the bridge across the Volga ends, the route goes around Kazan via the Kazan bypass road, where it also crosses the Kazanka River.
Then the road goes through Pestrechinsky district. A fairly large amount of work was carried out here, aimed at extending the bypass road to R-239, performing it in the form of a full-fledged four-lane highway. Further, the route in the format of a 2x2 road passes to the village of Shali, where it rests on a two-level interchange, from which there is also an exit to the R-239 highway. After this junction, the two-lane road continues again.
The continuation of the four-lane highway can be seen again only at the 900th kilometer, and it is located at the entrance to the Rybno-Slobodsky district. At the end of the Pestrechinsky district, the road goes through Mamadyshsky and Rybnoslobodsky districts. It should be noted that 20-30 kilometers before the Mamadysh exit, which the highway bypasses to the south, there is a large parking lot with a fish market, and the highway here is two-lane. But after the bridge over the Kirmyanka River, the route again divides into four streams, and so it goes through the new bridge along the Vyatka River, passing through the Yelabuga region. The Yelabuga bypass road also has four lanes, and three kilometers afterbypass there is a connection with the highway towards Mendeleevsk.
All of this information can be quite useful for those who don't know where the M-7 is, or who have to cross some sections of it. Thanks to detailed explanations, you can not only overcome various obstacles, but also visit a lot of sights and have a good time along the way.
