On December 17, 2018, within the framework of the working visit of Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman and members of the Government delegation to the Kingdom of Belgium, Volodymyr Omelyan, the Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine signed a financial agreement on the implementation in Ukraine of a joint project with the European Investment Bank “Ukraine transport connectivity – Phase I”.

Volodymyr Omelyan noted that the project ‘Ukraine Transport Connectivity – Phase I’ involves the attraction of European Investment Bank credit funds (EUR 50 million), as well as grant funds from the European Union (EUR 50 million). The implementation of the project will increase the speed, comfort and economy of transportation and ensure traffic safety on the roads in the western region of Ukraine, as well as provide preparation for the implementation of phase II of the project (railway sector).

According to the Minister, the funds will be used to improve road transport in the western region of Ukraine (Lviv, Rivne, Ternopil region), in particular, construction of interchanges, overpasses and bypass roads around cities; improving road safety; introduction of vehicle traffic control as a result of the establishment of intelligent transport systems (ITS); development of programs to eliminate railway bottlenecks; and conducting a study on the possibility of creating a network of interconnected logistics centers and multimodal terminals in the largest transport hubs, checkpoints across the state border of Ukraine and the EU countries.

Volodymyr Omelyan also noted that the implementation of this project is also envisaged by the EU Investment Plan for Ukraine, which was approved on October 15, 2018.