Moscow's Vnukovo Airport has introduced a highly unusual traffic pattern for the next six weeks, threatening massive traffic jams, passenger delays, and numerous other inconveniences. It includes a complete ban on access to the airport terminal from June 4 to July 25, reports Travel.ru's own correspondent.
The airport cited the decision of the "Vnukovo integrated security checkpoint" and "enhanced security measures" due to the World Cup. In addition to the ban on access to both levels of the terminal, including taxis, direct access to the airport from Borovskoye Highway—one of the two main highways leading to Vnukovo—has also been banned.
As a result, the only area proposed for picking up and dropping off passengers from all passenger vehicles, including taxis, is an approximately 150-meter stretch of access road in front of the newly opened DoubleTree by Hilton hotel (immediately behind the existing city bus stops). It's unclear how all the traffic will fit there.
Meanwhile, the bus stops themselves are slated to be relocated to 1-Reisovaya Street, near the pedestrian underpass. Vnukovo's press release lists this move as already completed, but as of the morning of June 4, buses continue to stop near the hotel, and Mosgortrans has not released any announcements regarding the relocation. This move is long overdue, but over the next six weeks, the new location could only worsen traffic congestion and increase the risk of bus passengers being late. Worse still, according to airport reports, after the World Cup, the stop is planned to be returned to its previous, absurd location, 450 meters from the terminal entrance.
It's clear that the new traffic pattern could lead to massive congestion during peak hours, both near the airport itself and on adjacent streets. Instead of accessing directly from Borovskoye Highway, drivers will be forced to use Tsentralnaya Street in the Vnukovo settlement. Anyone wishing to get from the airport (or rather, from the hotel) to Kievskoye Highway will also have to turn there. It's likely that Tsentralnaya Street and 1st and 2nd Reysovye Streets will be mired in traffic during these periods, potentially tying up even city buses heading to Vnukovo, especially since the plan's organizers haven't provided any dedicated lanes for them.
All this threatens to cause massive passenger delays. The airport has directly suggested on social media that an extra hour be added to travel times to Vnukovo.
Worse still, problems are expected with entering the terminal. The airport has suggested that passengers in both cars and buses use an underground passageway leading from the hotel to the airport's basement. Aeroexpress passengers, as a reminder, also use this same passageway. This means that the vast majority of Vnukovo passengers are being asked to enter through a single entrance, which typically has only two security lines (according to the latest reports, the number of lines has been increased). How such a crush will improve security is likely only known by the architects of this bizarre scheme.
Passengers who wish to avoid this crowd are advised to exit the underground passage onto the station forecourt and enter the terminal from the ground level. These entrances will likely be empty due to the closure of traffic near the terminal building. The overpass entrances will be completely inaccessible to regular passengers.
Passengers traveling to Vnukovo by bus in the next six weeks are advised to monitor traffic conditions near the airport in advance. In case of severe congestion, it's best to use routes 272 and 611 instead of the direct bus 911, allowing you to get off on Tsentralnaya Street and then walk to the terminal.
The multi-story parking garages at the airport's terminal square (#1 and #2) remain open, but with reduced rates. The first hour costs 250 rubles, and each subsequent hour costs 100 rubles. There is no free time, meaning any entry into the parking garage costs at least 250 rubles. The same rates apply to the single-story parking garage #3, located in the same square, but please note that exiting it is now only possible onto Borovskoye Highway and only in the direction of Moscow. Any car that makes a right turn onto 1-Reisovaya Street after the hotel will face the same situation.
Already in the first hours of the new traffic plan at Vnukovo Airport, heavy traffic was observed in the airport area on the morning of June 4. Passengers are advised to check the traffic situation before traveling to this airport by car or bus.
Source: travel.ru