Swing bridges of St. Petersburg: Grenadier bridge

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

There are so many sights in St. Petersburg that a visiting tourist simply dizzy. I want to see everything at once. Drawbridges are always a highlight.

What are drawbridges for?

Neva is one of the rivers with active navigation. It is deep and wide enough for the passage of ships carrying out the delivery of goods and passenger transportation. At the same time, the city cannot be divided into parts in violation of the transport infrastructure.

In order for land and waterways to function equally, drawbridges are being built. Most of the time they are used for their intended purpose - they allow you to travel from one part of the city to another. At a certain time, according to a set schedule or pre-order, the bridges are raised - in order for large ships to pass.

What is the design of the drawbridge?

The basis of the drawbridge design is the ability to move the center of gravity. The building is equipped with turning spans andmechanisms that set them in motion. As a cargo, which allows you to do the whole operation faster and more reliably, there is a counterweight on the coastal sections. The counterweight not only aids the spread, but also keeps the entire structure in balance while the bridge spans are open.

The counterweight also provides a smooth convergence of the spans, which are fixed with a special lock when lowered. Previously, everything was set in motion at first manually. Technology has improved, as have the designs. Today, the opening of bridges is automated, they are driven by an automation system and electric motors or hydraulic drives.

How many bridges are being drawn up in St. Petersburg?

All bridges are subject to breeding only at night. Each of them has its own schedule, coordinated with the others. To date, 9 bridges are raised regularly every night. And 3 - only by application made in advance.

All wirings fit into the period from one in the morning until almost 6 in the morning. The exact information about the time is posted on its official resource by the company that ensures the operation of all such facilities in the city.

Grenadier bridge in St. Petersburg

This construction received its name in honor of the Grenadier Regiment, which is located in the barracks on the left bank of the Bolshaya Nevka. During its existence, it was repeatedly rebuilt and changed its location, but all the time it remained the Grenadier Bridge.

Bridge with thisThe name traces its history back to 1758. Initially, it was just a floating crossing, otherwise a pontoon. It was the fifth such construction in the city. Even then, the Grenadier Bridge had a section that was taken out of the train for the passage of ships.

The bridge has repeatedly changed its location because it was temporary. In 1905 it finally became more or less permanent. The Grenadier Bridge became a wooden structure with 12 spans. There was also a liftable span, which moved with the help of manual winches.

Almost 50 years later, the Grenadier Bridge was rebuilt once again. At the same time, the number of spans was increased by 6, and those that were rotary were sheathed with metal sheets.

In the 70s of the last century, the project of the new Grenadier Bridge was ordered from engineer B. B. Levin and architects L. A. Noskov and P. A. Areshev. At the same time, the design slightly changed its location, going downstream. The final version had 3 spans on reinforced concrete supports, of which only the middle one rose.

The rest of the bridges are drawn up regularly, this action is captured by many local residents and guests of the city. Such a photo of the Grenadier Bridge in St. Petersburg is a rarity, since its breeding is carried out only when necessary and infrequently.