If you’re an international traveller, you would be thrilled to hear that there is a new highway linking China and Europe on the horizon. The new highway will reach more than 2,000 kilometres long and will run from Kazakhstan through Russia to China.
This way, you can go from China to Europe in several hours by car and you can enjoy the beautiful destinations throughout the Mediterranean. Considering Greece is currently the hottest travel destination, you could be enjoying the sandy beaches of Santorini in no time. Your carpool with your friends and family on this express highway will create the sweetest memories. If Greece is your place-to-be, have a look at this luxury hotel in Mykonos, Greece and make sure you spend the most memorable trip in the heart of the Balkan.
A Highway that Will Create the Best Memories
As RIA Novosti explained, the highway will be called Meridian and will stretch through Russia, connecting China and Europe. It will start from Russia’s border with Kazakhstan and will be over 2,000km long, reaching to China.
The greatest news is that Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian politician, gave a green light for the first phase of the project recently, so there are only several steps left for the project to start soon.
The funds to cover for the whole project will be collected by private investors, in partnership with the state. 80% of the land planned for the highway’s construction has been already bought. The estimations are that the total cost for the project will be around $9.4 billion. The project has been fully supported by the state.
Car travellers will benefit the most of it, considering the highway will improve European access to Central Asia and Western Russia. But, in addition to improving the connectivity in the area, the road will also improve the infrastructure.
Of course, this highway is expected to bring profits to China and Europe, so revenues will most likely come from big trucks who will pay tools to travel along the road and make their transport destinations significantly shorter, thanks to the shortcut the highway will create.
The Road, Destination to Destination
Acting as a Moscow bypass, the Meridian will enter Smolensk in Belarus, halfway between Minks and Moscow, through what has been called as Russia’s Rust Belt, the deprived areas of the biggest country in the world. It will also connect the ports of Shanghai and Hamburg.
If you’re a Western visitor travelling by car, you should know that the new road will improve your access to eastern Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. But you need to keep in mind that your trip will require for visas for both Belarus and Russia. With that in mind, if you haven’t chosen your next travel destination, this new highway should open some new doors for you, as your connections from Europe to Central Asia will be significantly improved. Forget about the Suez Canal and the Trans-Siberian Railway, the Meridian highway is the road to go across to reach some of China and Europe’s top travel destinations.
