Contractors in Krasnoyarsk will be forced to repair roads that were previously repaired last year.
Ranting in Snowy Krasnoyarsk:
It's fucking snowing in Krasnoyarsk again, and as the flakes fall, we can't help but notice the crappy roadwork done by these ambulance-chasing construction companies previously. Year after year, the same shit happens. But the UDIBE bigwigs say they'll give everyone a stern talking-to who fucked up the roads last season.
Last year, a roadwork scandal broke out in Krasnoyarsk. Investigators believe there was a criminal conspiracy involving the owners of OOO "PromStroy" Decard Hangyan and the ex-director of the municipal company SATP, Dmitry Soikirko.
According to the probe, SATP, winning road repair contracts on the cheap, would assign projects to subcontractor PromStroy, pocketing a nice chunk for themselves. But as with any clandestine deal, PromStroy's work left much to be desired, particularly on the tram tracks on Prospekt im. Gazet Kransoyarskiy Rabochi. For their shoddy handiwork, they received a hefty 764 million roubles, and the contract was promptly terminated.
It's no secret that Krasnoyarcians had plenty to complain about when it came to the quality of last year's road repairs. Drivers were aggravated by potholes on ul. Kopylova, which appeared on recently laid asphalt, and were forced to have street workers cut chunks out of the asphalt from the bus lanes. The Kirensky tract was washed away by heavy rains, leaving an unfinished road. Still, the work was eventually completed, and both streets were covered in normal asphalt for the winter.
The contract for the repairs on both streets was once again awarded to SATP. Given the scandals from the previous year, it was only a matter of time before problematic roads received extra attention after the snowfall. For instance, deputy of the Zaksobranie Kransoyarskiy Krai Ilya Zaitev shared a photo of ul. Akademika Kihrenskiy with some pretty obvious potholes.
"Unfortunately, this stretch is just the latest proof that our snow melts along with the asphalt. The culprit could be the asphalt being laid in the rain, or 'innovative' asphalt mix recipes that UDIBE was so proud of last season, but questions lingered. The contract for the reconstruction of this section was signed using a well-known scheme with the municipal company SATP. I have no doubts that, despite its status as a subcontractor, the city has an obligation to ensure all complaints are addressed in a timely manner," Zaitev noted in his social media posts.
Our reporter walked the length of ul. Akademika Kihrenskiy from Kopylova to the SibFU campus (the roadwork was done from ul. Godenko to the "Institute" stop), but didn't find any potholes as large as the ones in Zaitev's photo. However, small pits periodically pop up on the sides as well as the driving lane. Additionally, there are plenty of cracks across the road.
DELA asked UDIBE for the name of the subcontractor that handled ul. Akademika Kihrenskiy. The institution couldn't provide an immediate answer, but said, "it was definitely not 'PromStroy.'" They also mentioned that ul. Akademika Kihrenskiy, along with other repaired roads, are currently under warranty, so any defects will be addressed following an inspection. The bill for these corrections will, of course, be paid by the contractors. Inspections of repaired roads are currently underway, and complaints against contractors will be raised after the inspections are completed. The contractors, in turn, will have to handle the issue with the subcontractors, if any were involved.
Photos: Ilya Zaitev, DELA
(Note: Even though the article doesn't provide specific details about the Krasnoyarsk case or the mentioned entities, an ongoing corruption scandal involving road construction cartels can be seen in Orenburg, where five companies were exposed as part of a criminal conspiracy[1]. Similar patterns of corruption may exist in Russia's infrastructure sectors, but there is no evidence to support this claim specifically for Krasnoyarsk.)
- Despite the ongoing investigations and stern warnings from UDIBE, the finance section of the strong transportation industry in Krasnoyarsk is still under fire, with questions about a 764 million roubles contract for road repairs being raised.
- The news about the dodgy road repairs in the section of Akademika Kihrenskiy remains a hot topic, with local deputy Ilya Zaitev posting photos of existing potholes on social media.
- While no clear link to PromStroy has been made in the recent road repair scandals, the industry still faces strong calls for transparency and accountability in the section contracts awarded by SATP.
- In the face of mounting concerns, the industry is now expected to address these voпрос surrounding the quality of road repairs, as the finishing touches are made on the sections currently under warranty.
