Heavy snowfalls in the Urals have led to large-scale disruptions in road freight transportation. In Bashkiria, Tatarstan, Orenburg and Penza regions, multi-kilometer traffic jams, closures of federal and regional highways, as well as temporary traffic stops on the most dangerous sections of roads were recorded in mid-December.
A dense queue of trucks has formed on the Dyurtyuli–Ufa highway, and traffic is virtually paralyzed. The situation is complicated by strong winds, a snowstorm and a sharp deterioration in visibility, which makes the movement of freight transport unsafe.
Dmitry Zhbanov, editor-in-chief of Business FM Ufa, who is in the region, described the situation as follows:
"There are a string of trucks on the highway, no end in sight. It's such a blizzard, and they're all standing. How do vehicles travel at all?"
According to him, the difficult weather conditions were unexpected for the road services, as a stable snow cover formed only after December 10. At the same time, a number of road sections in the region are traditionally considered emergency hazardous.
"We have a site called Teschin Language. Something is constantly happening there - a dangerous turn, and it is not always safe in summer, and even more so in winter," Zhbanov said.
Currently, traffic is restricted on the Buzdyak–Dyurtyuli and Ufa–Beloretsk highways. According to the experience of previous years, such closures can last from one to two days, but much will depend on the intensity of precipitation and the speed of road clearance.
Emergency services have deployed heating points for truck drivers on the federal highway M-5 Ural. Rescuers and traffic police crews are on duty at the site. A similar situation is observed in Tatarstan and the Orenburg region, where numerous accidents and snowdrifts are recorded.
In the Penza region, bad weather led not only to congestion, but also to power outages. About 80,000 people were temporarily left without electricity, but the power supply was restored.
Logistics market experts point out that such weather disruptions in December pose additional risks to supply chains. Cargo delays, transport downtime, and rising carrier costs can affect delivery times and logistics costs, especially ahead of the New Year's peak in transportation.
