Residents of the Lukashivka village, Lityn region, have tested new asphalt covering for the second consecutive season. For the first time in many years, the repair of the highway that crosses the settlement has been thoroughly carried out. Part of the road was replaced last year, and the part of a 361st kilometre is now being restored.

"I've been living here for 20 years now, but I cannot recollect such repairs," Serhiy Gandzyuk, a resident of Lukashivka village, sharing his impressions. - Previously, only the potholes were patched.  Now a great job is being done."

Route M12 "Stryi-Kropyvnytsky-Znamianka" is a part of the trans-national transport corridor GO-Highway, which connects the Black Sea ports of Odesa and Mykolaiv with the Polish city of Gdansk in the Baltic Sea. The volume of traffic here reaches 13 thousand vehicles per day. Repair of the highway is under the scrutiny of the Ukrainian Government. Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groisman has personally checked the quality of repair works in Vinnytsia. In an interview with journalists, the Prime Minister emphasized that he was pleased with the technological approach that he saw on the sections of the strategic route M12.

The joint Ukrainian-German enterprise Autostrada is reconstructing the transnational transport corridor in the Lityn and Nemyriv directions. The company uses modern European produced machines and an ecological method of cold recycling.

Anatoly Vakar, the head of JV "Autostrada" describes the technology of the ecological method of cold recycling: "The old layer of asphalt is removed. A special stationary unit mixes this mass with binder materials and cement is added. In the right proportions, this mixture is laid in the form of a lower layer 15 centimetres thick. Then 2 more layers of asphalt are laid on top”.

The enterprise performs the complete package of road reconstruction. This is not only a replacement of the coating but also the arrangement of sidewalks, stops, lawns, installation of lighting elements and barrier fences.

The quality of construction materials is constantly monitored by our own specialized laboratory; therefore, the company takes regular inspections by the Ukravtodor state company quite calmly.

Cylindrical holes in road covering - a mark of sampling for passing control.

"We select samples for physical and mechanical tests of asphalt  - the composition, elasticity and strength, the content of binding substances"; - explains Bohdan Nesterenko the head of the sector of artificial structures of the State Enterprise "Road quality control".

Road-builders assure: it is in our own interest to repair the highway according to all European standards. We build consciously and for many years to serve.

"If during the warranty period there is damage to the asphalt, the enterprise which carried out the work will eliminate any defects at its own expense" - emphasizes  Ihor Korolchuk, the head of the Road Service in Vinnytsia region.

Anatoly Vakar, director of the Autostrada joint venture, is sure of the quality of the repairs and asserts that the life of the repaired sections will be 10 years. This is on the condition that trucks weighing more than 24 tons in the heat will be restricted.

So, travelling to the west and east for Podillya residents will now become more comfortable. In general, a large-scale reconstruction of all Ukrainian highways is scheduled for 2022.