Most of the large cities nestled comfortably in river valleys are located on both sides of the riverbed. There were times when, moving from one coast to another, people used boats, built land crossings and built ferries. Today, bridges are a means of connecting 2 banks, a means of shortening the path of movement and the ability to lay various cables along a shorter path, etc. These fantastic structures are a real miracle of architecture, not only durable and reliable, but also beautiful.
The construction of the bridge described in this article was at one time the most important step in the development of the Russian transport network and the city of Ulyanovsk.
Before we move on to the question of how the Presidential Bridge was built, we will tell you a little about another similar remarkable structure in Ulyanovsk.
Imperial Bridge
This bridge is unofficially called the Freedom Bridge, Simbirsk and Ulyanovsk (and now the Old). It was built during the reign of Nicholas II (in 1913-1916). Then the city was called Simbirsk.
At first, the bridge was a railway bridge, and then highways were added to it. The Imperial Bridge belonged to beam structures. In those days, the bridge was considered the greatest in Europe. More than 3.5 thousand specialists participated in its construction.
The bridge across the Volga has been reconstructed several times. Its last renovation was in 2003-2010. Citizens remember that it was possible to get to the city center through the bridge from the left bank only according to the schedule.
On the island under the bridge you can see a huge cross. It was erected in memory of the tragedy that occurred at this place. In 1983, on June 5, there was a tragic accident - the collapse of the cruise ship "Alexander Suvorov" as a result of its passage under the non-navigable span of the bridge. The official number of victims was 176 people.
After another (Presidential) bridge was built in Ulyanovsk, the old Imperial bridge became less busy.
The story of the construction of the new bridge
Many residents of the city of Ulyanovsk still remember this long process of building a unique bridge, including the period when its construction was suspended during the Soviet era. The construction of the longest bridge in Russia took 23 years. Total costs at 2008 prices amounted to 38.4 billion rubles.
Its designing began in 1980, and already in 1983 the first stone was laid. According to plans, it should have been completely built in 10 years. But construction work began only in 1986, and in 1995 theywere suspended due to lack of funding from the state. Construction resumed in 1998.
As a result, after many years of work, all design solutions were implemented. The presidential bridge in Ulyanovsk was completed. The official grand opening ceremony of its 1st stage took place in 2009 in November. D. Medvedev took part in it. The second phase opened in November 2011.
Bridge parameters
The length of the Presidential Bridge is 5.8 km, and the total length of the 1st launch complex is almost 13 kilometers.
The object includes 6 overpasses. The length of one bridge span is 220 meters (each weighing more than 4 thousand tons). The bridge is structurally designed for a capacity of up to 40,000 vehicles per day.
The Presidential Bridge in the upper tier has a width of 25 meters (dimensions - 21 meters with bike paths of 100 centimeters and sidewalks of 1.5 m). There are 2 traffic lanes in two directions, there is also a central dividing lane (this corresponds to the 1st category highway).
The lower tier (2nd stage of construction) has a width of 13 meters. It is planned to move light rail on 2 lanes.
Features
The new Ulyanovsk bridge across the Volga was built using the most unique technology from lattice trusses (spans), the parameters of which are presented above. Such an innovation made it possible to reduce the cost of construction work by more than 1 billion rubles.assembly and significantly reduce the time (more than 1 year).
The Presidential Bridge is able to withstand strong hurricane winds and strongest earthquakes. It is the second longest bridge in Europe. In first place is Lisbon's Vasco da Gama Bridge, which, together with access roads, is 17.2 kilometers long.
To enter the bridge in Ulyanovsk, a special interchange was built for the convenience of citizens, which can significantly save time.
View of the Ulyanovsk bridges
The Presidential bridge in Ulyanovsk can be seen from a high stele located on the square of the 30th anniversary of the Victory. From this place, where the eternal flame is located (exit from the Imperial Bridge to the central part of the city), you can see an excellent panorama of the Volga River along with the bridges.
From here there is an impressive view of the reservoir.
Conclusion
The Presidential Bridge is a significant section of the transport corridor that connects part of Russia (European) with the Far East, Siberia and the Urals. It became part of the most important Ulyanovsk transport hub, and most importantly, laid the foundation for a new route for cars in the Transsib international corridor, which is significant for the whole country. The construction of the bridge helped to improve the transport system of the city and the vast area.
Perhaps the bridge was so named due to the fact that the head of the country Medvedev D. A. came to its grand opening at that time, who, together with the President of Azerbaijan I. Aliyev, took part in thisimportant and honorable ceremony.
