The Deputy Chairman of Russia’s State Duma Valery Yazev coordinated an extended Duma session dedicated to financing The Industrial Urals-The Polar Urals, a multi-faceted investment project, in 2011-2013.

Yazev feels the implementation of the project is obviously hindered by a number of obstacles. The main reason behind this lagging behind is the insufficient federal budget financing of the key infrastructure item, that is, the bridge over the Ob in Salekhard.

The plans to build the bridge do exist, but the deadlines are set in the distant future. Until we have a clear and distinct federal budget policy, no investors such as Gazprom, Russian Railways, and The Industrial Urals-The Polar Urals will be willing massively to invest in the runways to the other areas, since no railways or motorways will be able to function without a bridge over the Ob,’ the official admitted.