Alexander Nevsky Bridge

The Alexander Nevsky Bridge in St. Petersburg is the longest drawbridge. The crossing got its name in honor of Prince Alexander Nevsky, and its opening timed to the anniversary of the October Revolution of 1917.

History

The site for the construction of this drawbridge in St. Petersburg allocated in the pre-war period. But construction began only in 1960 – before that the city survived the blockade and military hardships. The work continued for five whole years, and in November 1965 the first cars drove across the bridge. Nearby built staircases and embankments faced with granite.

At present, the construction of an interchange at the Alexander Nevsky Bridge is underway. An overpass, a tunnel and a pedestrian crossing will build at the southern embankment. The tunnel will ensure the unhindered movement of cars from the Bolsheokhtinsky Bridge to Obukhovskoy Oborony Avenue.

Appearance

The Alexander Nevsky Bridge in St. Petersburg is a seven-span bridge. Two spans are located above each embankment, and five are above the water. The length of the central span reaches fifty meters. Two wings rise in just a couple of minutes, a powerful hydraulic drive is responsible for this. The sidewalk and the roadway separated by a granite parapet on permanent spans and ramps and a metal one on a drawbridge.

The bridge organically complemented the urban landscape. The movement goes along the top, so the crossing does not affect the beautiful view of the historical buildings on the left bank of the Neva. The structure looks harmonious and proportional, even very large parts do not seem heavy. The design combines laconicism and restrained emotionality. The length of the Alexander Nevsky Bridge is 905.7 meters.

Peculiarities

The bridge is open to three-lane traffic in both directions. In the construction of the structure, cables used – cables, pulling together its individual parts. They made of alloy steel and passed through special holes.

The air temperature affects the degree of tension of the cables: in the cold season it weakens, in the warm season it increases. Today it an important landmark of St. Petersburg, which often depicted on calendars. Both curious tourists and locals come here. The layout of the Alexander Nevsky Bridge scheduled from 2.20 to 5.10 a.m.

Reconstruction

During the construction of the bridge, mistakes made in technology, due to which, over time, the waterproofing deteriorated, and the steel ropes corroded. Just two years after the opening, 56 cables burst, as a result of which traffic on the bridge stopped.

Only trolleybuses ran. The city authorities were inactive, so the bridge collapsed until 1982, when a 700-ton counterweight fell into the water. After that, the bridge completely closed, and a ferry service established for the crossing.

Overhaul of the Alexander Nevsky Bridge began only in 2000. In the course of the reconstruction, twelve kilometers of steel cables changed, the stationery and drawbridge parts of the ferry, the adjacent walls of the embankments, repaired, and new waterproofing was made. The work lasted for a year and a half.

In 2003, for the anniversary of St. Petersburg, the bridge sparkled with new colors – eight floodlights and five hundred powerful lamps installed on it. Today it is in excellent condition. Thousands of people pass and pass through it every day.

Interesting Facts

• Inside the bridge ramps, there is a parking area for 230 cars.
• During the construction period, the bridge called Staro-Nevsky.
• The bridge tested using a column of battle tanks.
• Until 2004, the bridge the longest in St. Petersburg (in 2004 the Bolshoi Obukhovsky (cable-stayed) bridge with a greater length commissioned).
• The opening of the Alexander Nevsky Bridge – raising the twenty-five-meter wings – carried out in 2 minutes thanks to the work of a special hydraulic drive.