The Crimean Bridge is a unique architectural structure that has solved the problem of connecting the mainland of Russia with the Crimea peninsula. It was put into operation less than a year ago amid rumors about the danger and unreliability of the design, actively fueled by the Ukrainian media. The image of the bridge was seriously damaged by these provocations. Residents of Russia who planned trips through this transport hub are still wondering whether the Crimean bridge could collapse.
A bit of history
The Crimean Bridge is one of the most ambitious projects in the modern history of Russia. The possibility of building a crossing connecting the Taman and Crimean peninsulas was discussed back in the days of the USSR. At the same time, 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 arose sharply.
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-tiered bridge. As a result, we settled on the option of two parallel independent structures dividing the road and railways.
The 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 put into operation. The railway bridge is scheduled to open by the end of 2019.
Dangers of the Crimean bridge
Despite the assurances of the developer company that a long preparatory work, engineering and geological surveys and verification calculations are carried out, many experts are still not sure of the reliability of the structure 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 the bridge supports will be disturbed;
- strong hurricane winds and high humidity, which impede traffic on the bridge during the cold season;
- seasonal ice drifts, which destroyed the pillars of the bridge, built in Soviet times.
Of course, all these factors are extremely unfavorable for bridge structures. The greatest concerns are caused by soil mobility and the high probability of earthquakes. On this score, the developers of the Crimean Bridge project assure that the construction of the 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 its depth. Bored piles were used in strong areas where a depth of 45 m is sufficient. Tubular piles were used in particularly muddy areas requiring deepening up to 105 m for anchoring in solid rock.
Incidents and prospects
Crash of a railway span
Since the beginning of the construction of the Crimean Bridge, journalists and experts are closely watching all stages of work. The slightest incident or technical problem is inflated by the Ukrainian media to the extent of an impending catastrophe. Despite the negative forecasts, emergency situations have happened only twice so far.
In September 2018, a floating crane crashed into one of the pillars of the Crimean bridge, causing minor damage. A month later, the span of the railway section collapsed during its installation on the supports. The reason was a technical malfunction of the jacking system, which lowered the multi-ton structure.
Unfortunately, in Ukraine, any incident is interpreted in a sharply negative way. Perhaps the most real threat to the Crimean Bridge at the moment is environmental. Even compliance with all building codes does not eliminate harm to the ecosystems of the Azov and Black Seas and their inhabitants. According to some reports, dolphins suffer the most, as noise and constant vibrations prevent them from communicating with each other and moving freely in the water area.
When asked whether the Crimean bridge could collapse, no expert can give a definite answer. Of course, this project is fraught with high risks, so it has not been undertaken for many years. But the development of construction technologies and means of monitoring the condition of the bridge increases the likelihood of its long and trouble-free operation. At least the Russian authorities are making every effort to achieve this.
