Saransk, Russia Set For Biggest Transport Boost From 2018 World Cup

The smallest 2018 World Cup city of Saransk is set for the "biggest World Cup transport legacy of all 11 venues across Russia, torn from long provincial isolation" by construction of an int'l airport, new bridges and roads, according to Mike Collett of REUTERS. The city "is small, with a population little over 300,000." Yet Saransk, situated in the southern Republic of Mordovia, has been voted Russia's "most comfortable city to live in" eight times -- "based on quality of housing, communal services and ecology, where bigger peers struggle to impress." It looks set to be "the biggest winner off the pitch" as '18 approaches. Mordovia Governor Vladimir Sushkov said, "We will not be regarded as such a provincial city any more. Having a new airport which can handle Boeing 737s and the Airbus 320 with international links will give the city a huge boost and our name will really be on the map. This is one of the reasons why we're so glad to host the World Cup" (REUTERS, 7/23).