Half of St. Pete Ring Road Finished.

(From The Moscow Times)

ST. PETERSBURG -- The first half of a new ring road around St. Petersburg opened to traffic Thursday, five years after construction began.

The eastern half of the ring, which cost $2 billion to build, will allow drivers to travel directly from Moskovskoye Shosse in the south to Primorskoye Shosse in the north without passing through the city center.

St. Petersburg Governor Valentina Matviyenko said Thursday that the new half-ring would rid the city center of heavy truck traffic, benefiting both transport companies and the quality of the city's environment.

"The opening of the ring is an important event for the …