In the Carpathian region, villagers patched up all the potholes on the state highway themselves

Residents of the village of Zagvizdia in the Ivano-Frankivsk District repaired potholes on the Ivano-Frankivsk–Staryi Lysets state highway on their own. They took this step after the state-run organization “Roads of Prykarpattia” was unable to complete the work due to a lack of funding. In just one day, the villagers patched all the potholes in Zagvizdya with hot asphalt.

This is an 8-kilometer-long public road of local significance that was last repaired in 2020. According to Zagvizd residents, heavy-duty vehicles travel on it daily, as well as transit vehicles bypassing the regional center.

In 2024–2025, the villagers raised money for patch repairs on the road, and in June 2026, they staged a protest. Following this, the Cabinet of Ministers included the Ivano-Frankivsk–Staryi Lysets route on the list of urgent projects, allocating 12 million hryvnias from the reserve fund for repairs. With this money, “Roads of Prykarpattia” patched 2.8 km of the road, but never made it all the way to Zagvizdya.

“Simply put, the money ran out, and continuing the repairs depends on new funding, for which there is no timeline. We expected a new Cabinet of Ministers directive on road funding in September, but it still hasn’t arrived. There are no guarantees that the money will arrive by the end of the year. On the contrary, it’s becoming clear that it won’t,” said village head Volodymyr Ruzhanskyi, calling on residents to join a community-led pothole repair effort on October 10.

In a single day, residents patched all the potholes in the village with hot asphalt, as well as the worst section of road between Zagvizdya and Pidlisya. According to Volodymyr Ruzhanskyi, they completed two-thirds of the necessary work. Repairs will resume shortly, weather permitting.

The village council will continue to demand that the road’s maintaining authority and regional authorities complete the repairs. Officials emphasize that the road will connect the community to the largest rehabilitation center currently under construction in the Carpathian region.

As a reminder, Video: Roads in Bukovel were flooded due to heavy downpours.

Drones attacked the Carpathian region and Ternopil Oblast; explosions were heard.