Ukraine needs 9.2 bln USD to rehabilitate road infrastructure: minister

Ukraine needs about 9.2 billion U.S. dollars to rehabilitate its road infrastructure, local media reported Wednesday, citing Infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Omelyan.

"To bring the roads in the normal condition we need the funding of at least 1.84 billion dollars annually within the next five years," Omelyan was quoted as saying.

Currently, more than two-thirds of 170,000 kilometers of roadways in Ukraine need either a pothole repair or a major overhaul, the minister said, adding that nearly half of the country's 17,000 bridges are in poor condition.

Omelyan has said earlier that his ministry will search private investors to modernize the roads and build payable highways across the country.

This year, Ukraine allocated a total of 1.3 billion dollars from its budget for the rehabilitation of road infrastructure. Endit