MKAD

MKAD is a beltway encircling the City of Moscow.

The name is a transliteration of the Russian word МКАД, an acronym for Московская Кольцевая Автомобильная Дорога (Moscow Automobile Ring Road).

The growth of vehicular traffic in and around Moscow in the 1950s made the city planners realize that the Russia's largest metropolis needed a bypass to redirect incoming traffic from major roads that run through the city. Opened in 1961, the MKAD had four lanes of asphalt running exactly 109 kilometers along the city borders. Although not yet a freeway, it featured interchanges at major junctions, very few traffic lights and a speed limit of 100 km/h. Among drivers it was known as "The Road of Death".

In 1995-1997 the road was widened from the initial four to ten lanes, while all intersections became grade-separated, bridges were built to accommodate pedestrians, traffic lights were removed, and a solid concrete barrier was installed in the median. In 2001 all slow-moving vehicles were banned from entering the MKAD and the renovated road received a freeway designation from the mayor's office.

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