News
Our company took part in the 17th World Congress on Road Winter Service, Resilience and Decarbonisation, which this year was held in Chambéry, France.
The event was organized by the World Road Association (PIARC) with the support of the Government of France. The Congress has been held every four years since 1969 and serves as the main platform for the exchange of experience among road sector professionals. This year, representatives from more than 60 countries participated in the event.
The main theme of this year’s Congress was “Ensuring Road Excellence in All Seasons.”
Key areas of presentations and knowledge exchange included:
-Winter road maintenance (innovative methods for combating ice and snow);
-Resilience (adapting road infrastructure to climate change);
-Decarbonisation (reducing the carbon footprint in the road sector).
Traditionally, the Congress also hosted the international snowplough competition.
“Today the entire world is facing rising energy costs, which is a critical issue for the road maintenance sector. This is why increasing attention is being paid to efficiency and cost optimisation. Big Data, artificial intelligence, various road data collection and analysis systems, and automated equipment management — it is already difficult to imagine road maintenance without these technologies. Our international colleagues are actively investing in digitalisation, enabling them to respond effectively to emergencies, avoid transport disruptions and at the same time optimise resource use. The rise in energy prices also makes the issue of decarbonisation even more relevant, which was one of the key topics at the Congress,” said Mykola Tymofieiev, CEO of Automagistral-Pivden.
How soon will such innovative practices be implemented in Ukraine?
In developed countries, road maintenance is financed through OPRC (Output and Performance-Based Road Contracts) — contracts where payment depends on achieved results and performance indicators. This approach encourages contractors to invest in integrated digital systems for data collection and processing, as well as automated technologies that, for example, regulate the dosage of de-icing materials during snowplough operations. In such contracts, payment is not linked to the amount of materials used or the distance travelled by specialised equipment. Instead, contractors are paid for the result — a road surface cleared of snow and ice.
In Ukraine, however, the implementation of international-standard contracts remains challenging due to chronic underfunding. During wartime, this situation is understandable.
Nevertheless, Automagistral-Pivden, as the largest national contractor responsible for maintaining 13,000 km of roads, consistently studies advanced international experience, explores new technologies, and engages with leading international experts.
The best global practices in winter road maintenance will certainly be gradually implemented in Ukraine in the future.
The capital repair of the M-09 highway in the Lviv region continued even during the winter period. Works on the installation of stormwater drainage systems within settlements and sheet piling at the bridge in Rava-Ruska were carried out.
With the arrival of truly warm spring weather, the full scope of works has now resumed.
– Finalizing the pavement structure on widening sections (cement-stabilized crushed stone base) and placing the lower layer of coarse asphalt;
– Reconstructing two bridges into double-cell concrete box culverts;
Installing reinforcement cages for the construction of bridge cross-beams.
As a reminder, in April last year Automagistral-Pivden began the capital repair of the M-09 highway on the section between Lviv and the Rava-Ruska – Hrebenne border crossing point.This is the main route from Kyiv to Warsaw and forms part of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). The length of our repair section (from Volia-Vysotska village to the border crossing point) is 33.4 km.
Before the war, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) conducted a road safety audit, economic feasibility analysis, as well as environmental and social assessments. In 2020, Ukraine and the Bank signed a financing agreement for a number of projects, including the capital repair of the M-09.
During the war, the project has become even more relevant — traffic load on the highway has increased, and the condition of the pavement has deteriorated.
The project includes:
Widening the road outside populated areas with the addition of an extra traffic lane; Adding acceleration and deceleration lanes on both sides near bus stops, intersections, and junctions; Complete replacement of the road base and installation of a new three-layer asphalt concrete pavement; Reconstruction of 6 bridges, most of which are in emergency condition; 4 bridges will be replaced with concrete culverts, and a roundabout will be constructed; Installation of a roadway drainage system; Construction of sidewalks, bicycle paths, and noise protection barriers.During 2025, works on half of the 34-km section included road widening, construction of a new road base and asphalt pavement, installation of monolithic deck slabs on 5 bridges, construction of 9 culverts, and 4 wildlife crossings.
The northern section of the Kharkiv ring road. The front line is 20 km away, while russian FPV drones are already capable of covering distances of 40–50 km. Therefore, this strategically important road for the region and the city must be reliably protected.
Automagistral-Pivden already has experience implementing such projects: our anti-drone “tunnels” in the Dnipropetrovsk region successfully withstood the entire winter, enduring snowfall and freezing rain.
Work on the Kharkiv ring road began back in January. We had to operate in extreme cold conditionss, but the schedule has been maintained. Currently, metal supports have already been installed along a 10 km section, and guy wires have been arranged along 6 km. Installation of the netting is ongoing and is planned to be completed by the end of March. More than 30 employees of Automagistral-Pivden from the Kharkiv region and other regions are involved in the works.
We stand behind the quality. For its part, the client assures that the European-made nets with UV protection will not deteriorate in the sun, unlike conventional fishing nets.
The capital repair of the international highway section between Lviv and the Rava-Ruska—Hrebenne border crossing is ongoing. Currently, the works permitted during the winter period are being carried out:
• Installing a stormwater drainage system within settlements. Previously, there was no organized water drainage, which led to waterlogging and the deterioration of the pavement structure. In total, we plan to lay about 5 km of drainage networks.
Installing a stormwater drainage system within settlements. Previously, there was no organized water drainage, which led to waterlogging and the deterioration of the pavement structure. In total, we plan to lay about 5 km of drainage networks.• Dismantled the last of six bridges; preparations for the foundation installation are underway.
Dismantled the last of six bridges; preparations for the foundation installation are underway.
As a reminder, Automagistral-Pivden commenced the major rehabilitation of the of the M-09 highway on the section between Lviv and the “Rava-Ruska – Hrebenne” border crossing.This is the main route from Kyiv to Warsaw and part of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). The length of our section under repair (from the village of Volia-Vysotska to the border crossing) is 33.4 km.
Before the war, the EBRD carried out a road safety audit, an economic feasibility study, and environmental and social assessments. In 2020, Ukraine and the Bank signed a financing agreement covering a number of projects, including the overhaul of the M-09.
During the war, the project became even more critical – traffic volume increased, and the road’s condition worsened.
Project scope includes:
Widening the road outside settlements, adding an extra lane. Adding acceleration and deceleration lanes on both sides near bus stops, intersections, and junctions. Completely replacing the road base and installing a new three-layer asphalt pavement. Dismantling and rebuilding six bridges, most of which are in emergency condition; four bridges will be replaced with concrete culverts, and a roundabout will be constructed. Installing a stormwater drainage (and purification) system, as one does not currently exist. Building sidewalks, bike lanes, and noise barriers
