Installation of Crimea Bridge arches is underway in the Kerch Strait (photo, video)
The first phase of the operation on maritime transportation and installation of Crimea Bridge arches is underway in the Kerch Strait. The arch of the railway section weighing more than 6,000 t has been delivered and is being prepared for mounting on the fairway support structures. According to Crimean Bridge information center, this sophisticated technological operation involves more than 100 specialists, seafarers, engineers, personnel of research institutions and bridge-building specialists.
Leonid Ryzhenkin, Deputy General Director, Infrastructure Projects, Stroygazmontazh LLC, said: “Such an operation would be impossible without extensive experience accumulated by bridge-building specialists in other projects. So, our marine operation is the result of long practice and advanced technologies used in domestic and global bridge engineering”.
After favorable weather was confirmed for the coming three days, the arch placed on the floating system left the Kerch shore on the night of August 27/28. The maritime operation (5-km long transportation) involved more than 10 different vessels and more than 100 people.
The mounting operation is supposed to take less than 72 hours. Navigation under the bridge will resume after the arch is secured. Additional works with the arch will take one moth but they will not limit the navigation.
The second phase of the operation - installation of the road section arch – is scheduled for September.
Arch spans are the largest elements of the Crimean Bridge. The length of each span nears 227 meters, height at the highest point of the arch is 45 meters (or 80 m above the water surface). After installation of the arches on the fairway foundations the bridge passage height will be 35 meters and width of 185 meters to enable passage of cargo ships.
The system designed for transportation of the arch spans consists of pontoons joined as catamarans and fitted with special deck equipment.
