Development of the Road Infrastructure of the Kursk Region During the VIII and IX Five-Year Plans (1966–1975)

Abstract

Relevance. The formation of a network of roads is one of the key conditions for the successful development of the country as a whole and individual regions in particular. Historical experience has shown that it is most profitable to move goods and people over long distances by land at the lowest cost by rail. But for the successful formation of transport logistics within the region, it is necessary to focus on the development of road communications. This is especially true for such a relatively small region as the Kursk region, where there are significant problems in the operation and maintenance of the road network. The period of the VIII and IX five-year plans is one of the most important in the history of the formation of the region's road network. At this time, a hard surface is being laid on almost all key highways of the region, and the formation of a modern road network is underway. Understanding the problems faced by road builders during the period under study makes it possible to understand in more detail the problems of the functioning of the modern road network of the Kursk region. The purpose. Show the main stages of the formation of the road infrastructure of the Kursk region in 1966–1975. Objectives: based on the study of a complex of historical sources to analyze the problems that the Kursk region faced when creating road infrastructure in 1966-1975, to reveal the found ways to solve these problems. Methodology. When writing the work, the author relied on the fundamental methods of historical science (the principles of historicism and objectivity), as well as on a number of specific historical and general scientific methods (analytical, comparative historical, etc.). Results. The absence of a regional complex of historiography on this issue indicates an insufficient study of the issue. This work not only introduces into scientific circulation the collected empirical material on the history of the de-velopment of road infrastructure, but also shows the main directions of this process. Conclusion. The creation of a network of roads and the formation of a developed road infrastructure in the Kursk region during the VIII and IX five-year plans served as a serious basis for the further economic development of the region, as well as for increasing the mobility of citizens by, first of all, improving the quality of road transport.