Kyiv authorities announced a major reworking of pedestrian routes around Bessarabska Square that will replace the underground passages through the Metrograd mall with safe surface crossings. The plan calls for six new at-grade crosswalks and reconstruction of two existing crossings; the road-safety scheme was approved by the Kyiv Patrol Police.
New crossings will appear on Taras Shevchenko Boulevard, Bessarabskyi proyizd, Velyka Vasylkivska and Baseina Street. Each crossing will get vehicle and pedestrian signals plus accessibility measures: lowered curbs, tactile strips, sound-call buttons for the green signal and adjacent bicycle crossings.
On Bessarabskyi proyizd officials will add a sidewalk from Arena City to form a continuous route from Lesi Ukrainky Street to Khreshchatyk and Shevchenko Boulevard. The project also includes lane redistribution, a regulated entrance to an underground car park, a new parking zone between Bessarabskyi Market and Arena City with disabled bays, and updates to the crossing toward Krutyi Uzviz. Deputy KMDA head Kostyantyn Usov said work will begin shortly.