Roads in Ukraine

Roads in Ukraine's transportation network are divided into two main categories: general-use roads, which consist of streets and roads in cities, villages, and other populated areas; and specialized roads, which include official, private, and special-use roads. Most members of the public travel on general-use roads, the most prominent of which are part of the international E-road network. However, high-speed highways, locally known as avtomahistrali (motorways) or shvydkisni dorohy (expressways), are rare and only exist on certain segments of major routes. In early 2010, in preparation for Ukraine co-hosting the UEFA Euro 2012 football tournament, significant infrastructure improvement projects were announced by the newly-established Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine, then headed by Borys Kolesnikov. These efforts fell short of expectations in some areas, and the road network at-large is still in need of significant renovation.^{[citation needed]}

Ukraine inherited its transportation network from the Ukrainian SSR (Soviet Ukraine), whose roads were integrated into the larger Soviet road system. In 1940, Ukraine had only 270,700 kilometers of roads, only 10.8% of which had paved surfaces. The present-day road network was mostly built during the 1960s and 1970s. 99% of roads in the modern network are public-use, of which 12% are considered to have 'national importance' and 87% to have 'local importance'. The whole network of all automobile roads (roadways) is approximately 172,400 km (107,100 mi) long, of which 164,100 km (102,000 mi) or 95.19% is hard-surfaced.^{[citation needed]}

Some critics point out that road conditions and road safety are in dangerous states of disarray and that recent reforms^[which?] have not diminished the level of police corruption.^[1]

Beginning in 2020, the "Great Construction" project facilitated the reconstruction or renovation of many roads.^{[citation needed]} The Russian invasion of Ukraine has also heavily impacted infrastructure work in the country, leading to billions of dollars (USD) in construction costs. In 2023 alone, the Government of Ukraine reported making more than 2,000 kilometers of emergency repairs on motorways, highways, and other national roads.^[2]