The Crimean bridge has been built since 2016. Prior to that, project activities were carried out for almost 12 months. All work was divided into three stages: organization and driving of piles and supports, assembly and installation of superstructures and arrangement of the roadbed.
In 2014, V. V. Putin spoke for the first time about the need to connect the shores of the Taman and Crimean peninsulas. This would allow people to get directly to any city without crossing the Ukrainian border. The bridge was supposed not only to connect the mainland of Russia and Crimea, but also to fit into the transport infrastructure. Bridge construction was started in 2016, the money was allocated from the federal budget of Russia.
Up to this point, since 1954, a ferry service operated, which partially met the needs of carriers. Its functioning was directly dependent on weather conditions. Construction was planned to be completed by winter 2018, but the grand opening took place in May 2018.
The length of the structure was 19 km. Bridges on the Taman-Tuzla and Tuzla-Kerch sections have a length of 1, 4 and 6, 1 km, respectively.
Three important stages
The construction of a bridge across the Kerch Strait was planned for several decades. Only by the end of 2015 was the project documentation finally completed. It takes into account complex tectonic faults, bottom silt deposits. To solve the set tasks, thousands of engineering inventions were applied, innovative technologies were mastered.
All work can be divided into three main stages:
- Construction and installation work. On dry and onshore sites, piles were driven into the ground and bridge supports were made. More than 2,500 of the first and 288 of the second were created.
- Assembly and installation of superstructures. This stage began in March 2017. Almost 40 spans were erected and the first sections of the future roadway of the bridge were concreted. An important event was the transportation and installation of the multi-ton arch. We raised it to the design height for more than 6 hours.
- Arrangement of the roadbed. At first, in March 2018, all parts of the bridge were connected, and by April, asphalt was laid along its entire length, markings were applied, and a barrier fence was installed.
Subtleties of construction
During the construction of the bridge, a special factory epoxy-based anti-corrosion coating was used. He processed all the metal piles used in the project. The process itself was carried out in front of the installation site. For this, a technological line was organized. A special procedure was also thought out:
- the pipe enters the furnace for heating;
- goes into the cleaning machine;
- undergoes chrome plating;
- delivered to another oven;
- covered with two layers of anti-corrosion layer;
- cooled down.
For the welding of structures, special bases were organized. Most of the work took place in an automated process, but under the supervision of experts. In order to ensure the best quality, two checks were carried out. One of them is in laboratory conditions. The piles themselves were driven to a depth of 90 m. This was due to the geological parameters of the bottom of the strait.
In conclusion, we note that in order to increase the efficiency of labor, all shifts of workers had a 12-hour interval. The constant change of craftsmen increased the quality of the work. For their convenience, a special living area has been created. The workers were also provided with three meals a day. Most of the workers worked on a rotational basis. After 2-3 months they left for home, which provided a constant influx of fresh strength.
