The content of the article:
- Kiev
- Kremenchuk
- Cherkasy
- Dnipropetrovsk
- Zaporizhzhia
- Kherson
The tragedy that occurred on August 14 in Genoa, when a road bridge collapsed, burying 41 lives under its rubble, prompted the Kiev mayor to finally ban traffic on the Shuliavsky bridge and declare the second (or maybe the tenth, because the bridge was recognized as emergency back in 2007) reconstruction of one of the most important transport routes of the capital of Ukraine.
The Minister of Infrastructure of the country says almost every three months that every sixth bridge (this is almost 1000 structures) on the territory of Ukraine is in disrepair, the degree of deterioration of 4,500 bridges has reached a critical level and only 400 bridges can be considered absolutely safe for traffic.
Every second emergency bridge is considered strategic. This means that if you block traffic on the bridge, many villages and towns will be cut off. Half of the bridges are highways of national importance that cross the Dnieper, connecting all main directions in the country.
You can do a thankless job and make a rating of the most dangerous bridges in Ukraine, any accident on which today entails human casualties, and if a collapse occurs, the number of lost lives will exceed tens and hundreds of people. But maybe this will slightly push the distributors of UkrAvtoDor's finances (who receive millions of dollars from the budget) to spend a little on the repair of bridges?
Kiev
If the structure is recognized as emergency, it means that it can collapse at any moment. In Kiev, more than 70 bridges bear this "proud" name - emergency, and if they do not fall within a month after recognition, the authorities begin to think that, of course, they will fall, but perhaps not in my cadence.
Shuliavsky bridge. Bridge Bolshevik. One of the main transport arteries of the city, the only major road that runs from the Moscow (North) bridge across the Dnieper, connecting Troeshchina, Petrovka, Syrets and Shulyavka, is finally closed until 2020 for reconstruction. To go for repairs, the overpass had to burn twice (the fire of 2007 destroyed up to 40% of the load-bearing floors), three times to drop 300-400 kg concrete reinforcement and pieces of asphalt onto the roofs of cars, and an incredible number of times to be blocked by indignant Kievans.
Metro Bridge. Kievsky bridge Metro was built in 1965. This is the world's first arched structure (the bridge has two tiers) with 60 meter girders at dry joints. Since 2008, an object of cultural heritage of Ukraine. Major repairs have never been carried out ...
This strategic bridge connects the Dnieper banks. In addition to the train, there is a six-lane road on the lower tier. Passing by metro across the Dnieper, a unique sight opens up to the golden domes and crosses of the Lavra, the Motherland ... It's scary to think that for someone this trip may be the last.
Paton Bridge. A masterpiece of Soviet bridge building, the design and construction of which was carried out by the Institute of Electric Welding of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, a metalwork plant (Dnepropetrovsk) and other enterprises and the Design Bureau of the Union. For the first time, supports on a coffered cushion were used in the design. Transport traffic began in 1953.
There has never been a major overhaul, although all Kievites will confirm that every two years the Paton Bridge is closed for at least three months and is being intensively repaired. As repair teams, the Kievites observe warning tapes, a barrier and several bulldozers, after which the drivers lose suspension, studs and springs on the bridge.
Kirillovsky overpass. Considering the title of "emergency" for ten years, the bridge collapsed in July 2018. A small traffic intersection, which belongs to the bridges of regional significance, collapsed at night, when there were no vehicles and pedestrians either on the overpass or under it. The collapse occurred in the part of the roundabout, when the car was lifted onto the bridge to the right.
Kremenchuk
The only bridge that connects the two banks of the Dnieper was recognized as emergency five and a half years ago. But, since there is no alternative road through the Dnieper in Kremenchuk and the region, the movement continues to this day. Experts no longer just declare - they shout that a few more weeks of intensive operation (every 5 seconds a car drives into the bridge), and a collapse will occur. As a result, two state highways: Boryspil (Kiev) - Dnepropetrovsk and Poltava - Alexandria may stop. In Kremenchuk itself, which is connected by a bridge, it will become impossible to cross from one bank to the other.
After the winter, trucks weighing more than 13 tons were forbidden to cross the bridge, the asphalt melted along with the snow, exposing the concrete reinforcement. In some sections of a one and a half kilometer bridge, the road has collapsed by 40-50 cm. The structure was commissioned in 1949, major repairs were carried out in 1988, and in 2007 there was another attempt to repair the strategic crossing of the Dnieper. Residents of Kremenchug recall these years as a series: “We are building. We break. We steal. We seem to be repairing ”.
The words of the city's chief utility worker, Sergei Yarosh: “We will repair it at night, and in the evening, we’ll get out somehow,” - no one is enthusiastic ...
Cherkasy
Another bridge of strategic importance is located just below Cherkassy along the Dnieper river bed, through which the N-16 highway passes. Today, repair and construction work is underway here, officials do not get tired of reporting on how much and what has already been repaired. The emergency bridge stood for more than seven years.
Dnipropetrovsk
In the Dnieper, a city with a million inhabitants, there are only about 60 bridges, four of which cross the Dnieper and belong to the crossings of strategic importance. Each of the bridges has its own unique history and name. The historical bridge of the city is the Amursky Bridge, the last reconstruction of which took place in ... 1955. For 63 years, the road has been reconstructed more than once, and today, although it is considered to be in poor condition, the movement along the "old man" is safe.
The central bridge of the city, which is 10 years younger than Amursky, is recognized as simply life-threatening. It is forbidden to move at night (however, drivers ignore the ban - you need to go ...), the bridge beams are completely destroyed, from time to time iron reinforcement and pieces of concrete fall into the Dnieper.
Merefo-Kherson railway bridge. This is the first arched bridge in the USSR to have an arc shape. The structure was designed for many decades, the first train crossed the bridge in 1932. After the complete restoration of the bridge in 51, the Merefo-Kherson bridge became the largest railway arched structure in Europe and is in good condition to this day. But neither cars nor pedestrians move on it.
Zaporizhzhia
Zaporozhye is a unique city famous not only for its rich history, but also for the number of unfinished bridges. The Dnieper divides the city into two parts, the famous Khortytsya island is located right in the middle of the river, and each governor tried to build a bridge that would connect the two parts of Zaporozhye and Ukraine, and would certainly pass through the famous island.
In 2018, such a bridge appeared, but it did not become a crossing over the Dnieper. From the right bank of the Dnieper you can get to Khortytsya along an excellent European road ... and that's it. There was not enough money to build further. Therefore, residents of the city and all drivers who cross the mighty river in the Zaporozhye region use old bridges that have long served their resource.
Preobrazhensky bridges. Two bridges that cross the Dnieper and connect parts of the city were built in 1949-1952, the only major overhaul was in the late 90s. The highway of national importance has been operating in emergency mode for a long time. The carrying capacity of the Preobrazhensky bridges is limited, there are traffic jams on the bridge around the clock.
Dam road. They have been talking about the emergency state of Dneproges for more than 20 years. Repair work to strengthen the dam has not stopped since 1992. The authorities understand that if the dam breaks ... Maybe that's why the financing of the work is carried out not only from the main budget of the country, but also from the regional ones. The dam road will be closed for another major overhaul in September 2018.
Kherson
Kherson is an exception to the rule. There are only two large bridges in the city: the Antonovsky automobile and Antonovsky railway. Both crossings across the Dnieper were commissioned in 1985. They are not classified as emergency, bridges do not belong, planned renovations are carried out regularly, the only problem is daytime traffic jams.
Among all the strategic bridges that cross the Dnieper, every third bridge is called critical, every second bridge in need of repair is named critical, every first bridge. If you look at the situation in the country, then 80% of the bridges in Western Ukraine, which connect the villages in the Transcarpathian and Carpathian regions, cross the Striy, Bug, Tisu, need to be replaced.
Here we are no longer talking about major repairs or restoration. Almost every day there is information in the news - after the rain, the bridge in Chernivtsi or Rakhiv was washed away. Unfortunately, these ferries are not of national importance, and the repair is on the shoulders of local residents. And the chief official, Pan Omelyan, declares that the country's infrastructure is worn out by 90% ...
