Driving back to Kyiv yesterday from the four-day Constitution Day holiday, I had a good chance to observe how the Euro 2012 football championship changed the country, or at least part of it.
Living in Kyiv, but born elsewhere, I travel to my hometown once in awhile. I was born and grew up in Lubny, a small city in Poltava Oblast, 200 kilometers east of Kyiv.
The biggest problem for me in undertaking these trips was the road. Although poor roads in Ukraine come as no surprise, when it comes to highways, this is where it gets really dangerous due to the high speeds usually driven on highways.
Since Ukraine is a big country and the cost of roads is high, in the best case scenario the potholes are repaired, leaving only bumpiness behind. But especially in the spring, the roads are hazardous because sharp fluctuations in temperatures cause severe damage to the asphalt. On one such spring trip home, I arrived with a damaged wheel after hitting a pothole on the way.
No doubt I was happy to hear about planned major reconstruction of the highway leading from Kyiv to Kharkiv, one of the four Euro 2012 host cities. The highway also runs through Lubny.
Although the reconstruction took at least three years – causing multiple inconveniences – it was worth it. This time driving was a pleasure – instead of stressful – when I went to Lubny and back to Kyiv.
There were flat-surfaced roads, with inclines on the turns, rumble-strips before crosswalks and names of places along the way in English besides Ukrainian. And all of it perfectly fit in with the beautiful scenery of wheat and sunflower fields, together with a marvelous sunset.
Approaching the city I stuck in a huge traffic jam which did not move because the police had closed the road from Boryspil International Airport to Kyiv, supposedly because some important people were arriving for the final game. But luckily that didn’t last for long and didn’t affect my joy over the great improvements that this part of Ukraine has not had for the last 20 years.
Entering Kyiv, my sense of gratitude grew further after seeing beautiful flowers and green lawns beside the main road to decorate the city’s entrance. There’s also a number of new bridges and intersections that have arisen within the last year, all helpful in relieving traffic jams.
In the end, I think Euro 2012 has brought the kind of infrastructure improvements to Ukraine that, without the tournament, wouldn’t have happened in the next 10 to 20 years. So, thanks a lot Euro 2012!
Kyiv Post staff writer Maryna Irkliyenko can be reached at [email protected].
