An Evaluation of the Prospects for the Creation of the Northern Latitudinal Transport Corridor

This article evaluates future freight traffic along the northern latitudinal corridor. It shows possible bottlenecks on the latitudinal main lines connecting the country's east and west. It also gives historical analogies for making strategic decisions with respect to transport projects in Russia's Arctic Zone. In addition, it justifies the advisability of using national economic criteria to evaluate large infrastructure projects. It also demonstrates how important it is for annual economic growth of even 2 percent to create a new route across the Ural Range on the border of the Komi Republic, Sverdlovsk Oblast, and Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug.