Krymsky Bridge is a unique architectural structure that solved the problem of communication between mainland Russia and the Crimean peninsula. It was commissioned less than a year ago amid rumors about the dangers and unreliability of the design, actively fueled by the Ukrainian media. The image of the bridge was seriously affected by these provocations. Residents of Russia, who planned trips through this transport hub, are still wondering if the Crimean bridge could collapse.
A bit of history
Crimean bridge is one of the most ambitious projects in the recent history of Russia. The possibility of building a crossing connecting the Taman and Crimean peninsulas was discussed back in Soviet times. Then an attempt was made to build a railway bridge, which ended in failure. After the annexation of Crimea to Russia and the deterioration of relations with Ukraine, the question of establishing road and rail links with new territories sharply arose.
The construction of the bridge was entrusted to the Stroygazmontazh company. When preparing the project, many options for its implementation were considered: a tunnel or the construction of a two-tier bridge. As a result, we settled on the option of two parallel independent structures separating the road and the railway.
Opening of the Crimean bridge by President Putin
The construction of the Crimean bridge cost the Russian treasury 230 billion rubles. In record time (about two years), the automobile part was commissioned. The railway bridge is planned to open by the end of 2019.
The dangers of the Crimean bridge
Despite the assurances of the developer that it has carried out a long preparatory work, engineering and geological surveys and verification calculations, many experts are still not convinced of the reliability of the construction of the Crimean bridge. The fact is that the construction and operation of this facility is complicated by several factors:
- unstable underwater soil, prone to subsidence and seismic activity, due to which, sooner or later, the stability of bridge supports will be violated;
- strong hurricane winds and high humidity, which make it difficult to move along the bridge in the cold season;
- seasonal ice drifts, which destroyed the supports of the bridge built in the Soviet era.
Of course, all these factors are extremely unfavorable for bridge structures. The greatest concern is the mobility of the soil and the high probability of earthquakes. In this regard, the developers of the project of the Crimean bridge assure that the construction of pile foundations was carried out taking into account a thorough analysis of geological samples. Two types of piles were installed depending on the type of soil and the depth of its occurrence. Bored piles were used in strong areas where a depth of 45 m is sufficient. Tubular piles were used in especially muddy areas requiring a recess of up to 105 m for fixing in hard rock.
