One of the most famous places in the city of St. Petersburg is Sulfur Island. And he is familiar to many because of the scandal that erupted because of the bridge laid on the island. There is a bridge on the Malaya Neva, the embankment of which often becomes a place for walking for many tourists.
Famous Bridge
Bridge and Sulfur Island is very popular with locals. Malaya Neva divides the city into two parts, making it difficult for residents of different areas to move. The only link between them is this bridge.
The construction of the bridge across Sulfur Island was more of a necessity than a whim. All bridges connecting the island with the city are drawn at night, the metro is closed, so it is impossible to get from the city to the island. Add to this the increase in traffic! The bridge in St. Petersburg across Sulfur Island, which is the only fixed one, is becoming a real salvation for most motorists.
Scandals, intrigues, investigations
Because of the construction of the bridge over the Sulfur Island, the city defenders launched a whole struggle for changes in the design of the structure. And everythingthe fault is the height of the building - 93 meters. The bridge was conceived so large that it could be seen even from the city center. And this, according to local experts, would spoil the impression of the general appearance of St. Petersburg.
If you approach the construction site, you might think that the construction of a bridge across the Sulfur Island is in full swing. You will not immediately guess that the construction plan has not yet been approved. The reason is clear: the idea was planned to be implemented in time for the FIFA World Cup, which will be held in 2018, so we will have to hurry.
In general, the bridge is shrouded in many strange and mysterious stories. Construction began last spring. And everything was going well until the procurator noticed that the developer did not have a building permit issued by the State Construction Supervision and Expertise Service.
Later, the construction of the bridge required a demolition permit. However, later it turned out that it was built before 1917. According to the legislation of the Russian Federation, the demolition of such buildings is prohibited. They found a way out of the problem - forged documents. Thus, 1920 became the official year of construction of the building. However, fraud was uncovered and a criminal case was opened, the results of which are still unknown.
Opinion of the authorities
According to deputy Alexei Kovalev, the construction of a bridge in St. Petersburg across the Sulfur Island is going hard, there is no worthy way out of the situation yet. This is due to simple negligence and greed on the part of the developer, because offers forto reduce the height of the bridge were made even before the start of construction, but for some reason they were ignored.
Even when the topic was publicized, no action was taken. For example, when the vice-governor of the city found out about the situation with the bridge across the Serny Island, he ordered to urgently reduce the height, without delaying it. Yes, instructions were given, but the problem remains unresolved to this day.
Professional opinion
Oddly enough, the opinions of the authorities and ordinary residents about the problem with the Sulfur Island coincide. However, the solution to this issue, according to the chief architect of the city, is not so simple.
Vladimir Grigoriev believes that in order to successfully overcome the situation, it is necessary to change the design of the bridge and only after that continue construction. However, it is not possible to complete the construction of the bridge within the originally specified time: there is too much work to be done.
The only solution is to correct some points in order to find a compromise between preserving the historical panorama and meeting the deadlines for preparing for the Football Championship. However, this will not bring big changes.
And time goes by…
It cannot be said that the developer does nothing at all. The height of the pylon has already been reduced three times - from 93 meters to 30. However, later changes were made to the project, and the height was raised again - up to 44 meters. According to Russian regulations, this height is considered acceptable in some structures, the bridge is one of them.
However, the changes are not yet in force - theyexist only on paper. The workers are in a difficult position: it is no longer possible to act according to the original plan, and the changes have not yet been introduced. And there is no way to stop work, as the deadlines are running out. Now work is underway on those elements of the building that remained unchanged.
According to official data, the changes have been sent for construction expertise. It is planned to be completed by the summer of 2018, by which time ships should already be sailing under the bridge.
However, here the theory again crashes into harsh reality. Official structures have not yet given their permission, and construction does not even think of stopping. There is only one explanation: the bridge must be handed over. Therefore, it is highly likely that by the time all problems with the paperwork are resolved, the construction of the bridge will go to its logical conclusion.
