The raised bridge of Alexander Nevsky. The Alexander Nevsky Bridge is the longest drawbridge. As you know, there is no harmony in the world

Alexander Nevsky Bridge is the longest drawbridge across the Neva in St. Petersburg

Length Alexander Nevsky Bridge without coastal structures - 629 m, together with ramps - 905.7 m. The bridge connects Alexander Nevsky Square and Zanevsky Prospekt.

Until 2004, when the Bolshoi Obukhovsky Bridge was opened, it was the longest bridge in the city: the length without shore structures is 629 m, together with ramps - 905.7 m. The width is 35 m. The bridge is seven-span, with a drawable double-wing span in the center, reinforced concrete, with prestressed reinforcement.

The design uses cables - steel cables with a diameter of 70 mm, which tighten individual parts of the bridge. The 25-meter wings spread in just two minutes. The two-winged swing span structure is located in the center. The distributing drive is hydraulic, first used on drawbridges in the city.

In 1959, the project of engineers A. S. Evdonin, K. P. Kolchkov and G. M. Stepanov won the competition. The bridge was built in 1960-1965, the bridge was tested using a column of army tanks. On November 5, 1965, the bridge was put into operation. With the construction of the bridge, Alexander Nevsky Square also took on its current form. There have been warehouses here since time immemorial, and the place itself was notorious among the townspeople.

However, during construction, mistakes were made in technology. The waterproofing was worn out over time, and the steel tension ropes were actively corroding. By 1967, 56 cables had broken, and only trolleybus traffic crossed the bridge. Due to the mismanagement of the city authorities, the bridge continued to collapse until 1982, when the 700-ton counterweight of the left wing collapsed into the water. Alexander Nevsky Bridge was closed and a ferry service was established. Subsequently, traffic on the bridge was restored, but key structural defects were not eliminated.

In 2000-2001 The bridge was reconstructed according to the design of engineer A. A. Zhurdin under the leadership of engineer V. G. Pavlov.

In 2002, the crossing was redecorated.

Panorama Alexander Nevsky Bridge

During excursions around St. Petersburg, guides often hear the question: which drawbridge is the longest? And they will find out that the Alexander Nevsky Bridge holds the palm. The length (without buildings on the shore) is 629 meters, with ramps - almost a kilometer (905.7 m). The width of the building is thirty-five meters. The unique building was built in 1965, although it could have stood on the threshold of its century: the construction across the Neva River, in the interval between Zalessky and Nevsky Avenues, was provided for by the general plan of the city of the distant revolutionary era (1917).

On a competition basis

Connecting the right bank of the city with the center, the Alexander Nevsky Bridge completes the main street of St. Petersburg. It is believed that old St. Petersburg ends here; it takes daily passengers and pedestrians to the historical district of Malaya Okhta, where there are “Stalin” buildings (houses built between 1930 and 1950), typical buildings of the 1960s.

A direct and short path made of iron and concrete brought the Okhta people (and the population of the vast surrounding area) to a qualitatively new level of existence. One of the advantages is that the line passed through Nevsky, finally “bringing closer M. Okhta and Vasilyevsky Island.

The history of the construction of the bridge in close proximity to and its further existence are full of complex, sometimes dramatic moments.

In 1960, the Leningrad City Executive Committee announced a competition for the best plan for an overpass across the main waterway of St. Petersburg. The event, unusual for that time, was closed (a truly unprecedented case during the time of the planned economy). Leningrad and Moscow organizations involved in bridge design took part in the competition to create technical and decorative projects.

The Leningrad branch of the USSR ASiA (Academy of Construction and Architecture) had the right to participate in the parade of ideas.

We took into account every detail

Having survived many tense days and sleepless nights, experts showed the world how they see the Alexander Nevsky Bridge. The strict jury decided not to award the main prize, considering that not a single project met the necessary requirements. The second award went to the version developed by the Lengiprotransmost Institute. The plan for the Leningrad branch of the USSR AS&A was also singled out from the total mass, but the academicians never received the signal “To be executed.”

Lengiprotransmost handled the design assignments and working drawings. According to the vast plans, it was necessary to build multi-level complexes of bridges, tunnels, and roads that would clearly separate future traffic flows. The junctions on the right and left were carefully thought out.

The authors made the spaces inside the bridge ramps work: they planned parking garages for 230 cars. But this is not what impresses the Alexander Nevsky Bridge. Wiring! This is a shock to the eye and imagination. The two-winged flight of the reinforced concrete river beauty resembles the flapping of the wings of a giant bird. However, people saw all this later, and then, having been well prepared, the performers began construction.

As you know, there is no harmony in the world

And then came the iconic moment of 1965, when the seven-span Alexander Nevsky Bridge rose over the Neva. - the center of the divot section (its length was 50 meters). As planned, the “gate” for ships with a fixed axis of rotation was located exactly in the middle of the river. It was clear that the draw span was based on more massive supports than all the others.

It seemed to many that the massive “swing” part of the bridge interfered with the harmonious perception of the structure. The main components - dimensions, color, material from which it consists - are at odds with similar elements of stationary spans, which are covered by continuous spans of variable height. But harmony is good, but reliability is better.

As for the bridge fencing (also known as tram and trolleybus electrical supports), structures for fastening supporting and fixing devices, all these elements are designed in a strict, modern style and perfectly complement the appearance of the now historical “crossing”.

And today, some consider the building majestic, while others find nothing special about it, except maybe traffic jams during rush hours. Is the interchange at the Alexander Nevsky Bridge really unable to cope with modern traffic flows?

Driving on top is the “highlight” of the bridge (category of equal-height buildings). Designed in compliance with the proportionality of the design of the large parts of the structure (the main ones look quite elegant. They were tested for strength on May 15, 1965 (a column of tanks drove across the bridge).

Time tested

The celebration on the occasion of the opening of the bridge, which received the name of the patron of the city - the Russian commander Alexander Nevsky, took place on November 5. When construction was underway, the object was called Staro-Nevsky. Among the new technologies used are reinforced concrete shells for supports buried at a depth of 35 meters, the use of cables (standing rigging cables), the tension of which was controlled by devices depending on the air temperature, and V-shaped span structures.

But advanced technologies do not guarantee 100% quality. The glass wool waterproofing was dissolved in a material common at the time called bitumen; the gun-oiled shrouds were rusty; the cables began to burst (56 pieces broke in two years).

To top it all off, in 1987, the counterweight of the draw span (weighing 17 tons!) collapsed into the river. The bridge was closed for repairs. They organized a temporary work. Soon the main movement resumed, but it was a Pyrrhic victory. Defects that threaten the integrity of the bridge were not eliminated.

Large-scale work to eliminate faults, worn-out structural elements, restore and replace them in order to improve the operational characteristics of the bridge was carried out already in the new millennium (2000-2002). The draw span, stationary parts of the crossing, and the embankment walls adjacent to the structure were restored; the waterproofing and twelve kilometers of steel ropes were replaced.

Since 2003, the “record holder for length” has been decorated with artistic lighting. It consists of five thousand lamps, eight devices with mirrors and reflectors (spotlights). With such magical lighting, the opening of the Alexander Nevsky Bridge is a surreal story.

The Alexander Nevsky Bridge is the longest in St. Petersburg and is the end point of Nevsky Prospect, the main thoroughfare of the city. We can say that old St. Petersburg ends here, because on the other bank of the Neva there are quarters of the Stalin era, and even further away the city’s residential areas begin.

Built in 1965, the Alexander Nevsky Bridge is intended to connect the right bank district of St. Petersburg with the city center. It is known that its location between Zanevsky and Nevsky prospects was reflected in the city development plans of the first half of the 20th century. The need for this structure arose due to the special need for the development of the Malaya Okhta microdistrict and other adjacent territories. No wonder the construction of the bridge was called “an urban planning task of particular importance.” This problem was solved, and the erected bridge successfully connected Malaya Okhta with Vasilievsky Island via the Nevsky Prospect route and the Palace Bridge.

The approval of the bridge project and work on its construction began in 1960. By the way, several organizations were entrusted with designing the future bridge. The fact is that for the announced competition for the construction of a bridge across the Neva from Alexander Nevsky Square, several projects were submitted from eight construction and architectural organizations in St. Petersburg and Moscow, but none of them could fully satisfy the demands of the strict jury. Therefore, it was decided that two different organizations would be involved in finalizing the bridge and transport interchange projects. The design of the bridge was led by engineer A. S. Evdonin, and the architectural part of the project was carried out by architects S. G. Mayofis, A. V. Zhuk and Yu. I. Sinitsa. Lengiproinzhproekt engineers A.D. Gutzeit, G.S. Osokina and Yu.P. Boyko worked on the projects of tunnels for transport interchanges and approaches to the bridge. In the final version of the project, the total width of the bridge was 35 meters, and the length was 905.7 meters, which put this structure in first place among all St. Petersburg bridges in terms of its length.

The result of construction work, which lasted from 1960 to 1965, was a seven-span drawbridge, symmetrical relative to the drawbridge located in the center. The swing span, 50 meters long, is located above the middle of the river bed, and is a two-winged structure, 25 meters each, with a fixed axis of rotation. The main accent of the drawbridge are its supports, which are much thicker than the neighboring river piers. The sharp highlighting of the drawbridge part, not only by its dimensions, but also by its color and material, does not look very favorable in the overall architecture of the bridge, since it does not look entirely harmonious from the outside. The remaining spans, located on both sides of the drawbridge, are covered with three-span continuous reinforced concrete beams of variable height. The individual parts of the bridge form a single picture thanks to the cables running inside, thus tightening them. The bridge's fencing, as well as its lanterns and contact network supports, are austere, modern in nature and fit well with the overall appearance of the structure. The lamp posts, which simultaneously serve as supports for trolleybus and tram electric lines, are made of tubular elements, and the fences are presented in the form of adjustable metal rods, which are completed by high handrails of somewhat heavier proportions. The embankments, lined with granite and the staircases leading down to the water, complete the overall picture of the Alexander Nevsky Bridge.

The main advantage of the constructed bridge was its design, conceived with a ride on top, which classified the new structure as an equal-height building. The proportionality of all parts of the structure also played a positive role, thanks to which fairly large bridge parts, such as main beams and river supports, do not look bulky and heavy. We can say that the Alexander Nevsky Bridge serves as a striking example of finding the optimal scale of the bridge parts in its overall composition.

The grand opening of the erected bridge, the longest in St. Petersburg, took place on November 5, 1965. This event was preceded by a strength test of the new structure, which took place on November 1, 1965, through the passage of a whole group of tanks across it. On May 15 of the same 1965, the bridge was given a name, and despite the fact that during construction the object was called Staro-Nevsky , after putting it into operation, it was decided to give it the name of Alexander Nevsky, in honor of the great Russian commander and heavenly patron of St. Petersburg.

It should be noted that during the construction of the Alexander Nevsky Bridge, some new technologies were used. Thus, for the first time, reinforced concrete shells for river supports were buried at a depth of 35 meters, and the construction of the crossing used cables - cables stretched in reinforced concrete structures. The tension force of the cables was regulated using special devices based on air temperature. In frosty weather, the tension increased, but in hot weather, on the contrary, it weakened. Another feature of the bridge was the design of the spans. They had the shape of an extended V, placed on the river abutment. The assembly of these structures, the total weight of each of which exceeded five tons, was carried out on the shore, after which they were transported on pontoons and installed in their places.

However, despite the use of advanced technologies in the construction of the bridge, its quality was far from ideal. The glass wool from which the waterproofing was made began to dissolve in bitumen, and the cables, lubricated with cannon oil, were quickly corroded by rust, which is why 56 cables broke within 2 years after the start of operation. It was reckless that the bridge was not reconstructed in time, as a result of which in 1987 the 17-ton counterweight of the draw span collapsed into the Neva.

After such an inglorious fall of the counterweight into the waters of the Neva, the dilapidated bridge attracted the attention of the city authorities, and was finally closed for repairs. Communication between the banks of the river during the repair work was organized by ferry. However, the bridge was soon reopened to traffic, even though key structural defects had not been corrected. The Alexander Nevsky Bridge received its overhaul and reconstruction only in 2000, when work was carried out to repair the draw span, stationary parts of the crossing and adjacent walls of the embankment, and waterproofing and 12 km of steel ropes were also replaced. The reconstruction of the building was carried out until 2002, according to the design of A. A. Zhurdin and under the strict guidance of engineer V. G. Pavlov. In 2003, on the eve of the anniversary of St. Petersburg, the bridge was decorated with bright artistic lighting, which involved 500 lamps and 8 spotlights.

The text was prepared by Anzhelika Likhacheva

Undoubtedly, one of the calling cards of St. Petersburg are drawbridges. Millions of people from all over the world come to our city to admire the wings of bridges soaring over the Neva. It has been my long-time dream to take part in the process of wiring and aiming. And dreams, as we know, always come true. You just need to dream correctly: steadily and without doubting the final result. And then the Universe will turn inside out just to fulfill your desire.

This time the Universe resorted to the help of three wizards:

As part of the #bloggersraisebridges campaign Weekly excursions into the “bowels” of drawbridges are held, during which bloggers have the enviable opportunity not only to look inside the bridge structures and get acquainted with the mechanics, but also to press the coveted button.

I was lucky enough to get on the longest drawbridge - the Alexander Nevsky Bridge.

- on the site of the Kalashnikov warehouses, a bridgehead area with new transport interchanges was created;

- Obukhovskaya Oborony Avenue, which runs under the coastal span of the bridge, has been extended;

- existing railway the path was moved to the river embankment. Neva and passes under the bridge.

The bridge is a seven-span (five over the water, two over the embankments) reinforced concrete structure 905.7 meters long and 35 meters wide with a draw span in the middle and ramps on both banks, in which work and utility rooms are equipped.

A number of new technologies were used during construction:

- For the first time, reinforced concrete shells for river supports were buried to a depth of 35 meters.

- For the first time, trusses were used in the design of the crossing - cables stretched in hollow reinforced concrete structures. The force of their tension is regulated by special devices taking into account the air temperature. In hot weather the tension weakens, in cold weather it increases.

- Another feature was the design of the spans. They were designed in the shape of an extended V, which was placed on the river abutment. They were assembled on the shore; the total weight of each such structure was over five thousand tons.

- Parking for 230 cars was created inside the ramps.

During the construction period, the bridge was called Staro-Nevsky. On May 15, 1965, it was given its current name - Alexander Nevsky Bridge.

The entrance to the Holy of Holies is located in this booth:

Here our documents were checked. Then the bloggers had to go down the steep stairs

to the control room.

The bridge is still closed,

and the friendly Anatoly Sergeevich has time to tell us about the operation of the mechanisms and show us his possessions. He worked here for 45 years and is well versed in all the intricacies. In general, you can immediately feel that the employees love their work. As we clarified, there is no turnover. The “youngest” employee has been working for 12 years! True, women don’t get along well in mechanics. Of course: in winter, when wiring is not done, there is time to do routine repairs. One 65 key weighs 2 kg - try to work.

On the Alexander Nevsky Bridge there are only pulling hydraulic cylinders (on other bridges there are both pulling and pushing ones), driven by oil pumps.

The bridge wing is supported by an 800-ton counterweight.

But we’ll talk about it in more detail a little later. The hands are approaching 2.20, it’s time to return to the control room. The number of wires dazzles the eyes.

And here it is, the main point. First, traffic is blocked at the top, and we use cameras to make sure that there are no pedestrians left on the bridge. Then Alexander Nikolaevich presses the treasured button.

More precisely, two green buttons))

And yes, this is very important! Not “divorce”, but “divorce”! Not “reduction”, but “direction”))

The process has begun! The bridge opens its 25-meter, 600-ton wings.

Everything happens so quickly that Anatoly Sergeevich has to remind us that the most interesting things can already be watched from a special balcony, where we rush. Me with a phone in my left hand and a camera in my right.

And here, in fact, is what it’s all about:

The bridge has its own live mascots.

They are not offended, because they fight against midges)))

Having come to our senses a little, we continue to study the structure of the bridge. The cylinders are already in a “retracted” state.

Part of the road surface of the raised span is visible. Sometimes all sorts of debris falls from the asphalt (I'm not talking about rain and snow), but this time it was limited to a few cigarette butts.

We go down even lower into the engine room.

Employees' pride: a power supply unit assembled by themselves.

In 2000-2001, the bridge was reconstructed, and some of the equipment was replaced with new ones.

Reserve tanks with oil are also located here (there are two of them in total).

And we move to the transition bridge under the counterweight.

The Alexander Nevsky Bridge differs from others in that the counterweight is lowered not into a special “counterweight” pit, but between the bridge supports.

I won’t hide that, in addition to delight, I also felt a certain amount of fear: it’s a little uneasy when 800 tons are hanging over your head, and the previous counterweight, which collapsed in 1982, is peeking out of the water next to you.

Our guide Anatoly was on duty at that moment and shared the details: “There was no noise, no explosion. Suddenly all communication disappeared, because when it fell, the counterweight cut off all communications.”

But we tried not to think about it and admired the surroundings.

I didn't want to leave. But all good things come to an end. We climbed to the surface to capture the flyover in all its glory.

Meanwhile, it turned out: we’ve been hanging out here for so long that it’s time to build a bridge. And then Anatoly Sergeevich made the offer that I had been waiting for all my life: press the button!))) Tears of tenderness still come to my eyes! It's a magical feeling! This, forgive the lack of speech, is the coolest thing! What can I say, see for yourself:

It was these people, full of impressions, that Taxovichkof took us home at dawn.

I would like to once again thank the organizers of spbblog and St. Petersburg State Budgetary Institution Mostotrest, Irina Strizhenaya, mechanics Anatoly Sergeevich and Alexander Nikolaevitch for making my dream come true! And also accomplices tivir, balu97 and annet_cl for company. Special thanks to balu97 for video recording the moment))

Until 2004, the Alexander Nevsky Bridge was the longest in St. Petersburg. It stretches across the Neva and connects the city center, namely the end of Nevsky Prospekt. with the region beyond the river. The total length of the bridge is 906 m, width is 35 m.

Story

The site for the construction of a bridge in continuation of Nevsky Prospekt was provided even before the Great Patriotic War. But construction began only in 1959, when a group of architects and engineers led by Alexander Evdonin won a competition to implement a construction project with the working title “Old Nevsky Bridge”.

Construction of the bridge lasted 5 years. In the winter of 1963, ice movement occurred on the Neva, which provoked a large-scale accident - part of the floating system of 20 pontoons was torn off and floated downstream. There were people and a construction crane on the platforms, the upper part of which hit the edge of the Bolsheokhtinsky Bridge, slowing down the movement of the structure along the river. People were evacuated from the pontoons thanks to the efforts of firefighters who arrived on time.

On May 15, 1965, the bridge was almost completed and received its official name in honor of the commander Alexander Nevsky. The opening took place in November of the same year: the first test of the reliability of the structures took place on November 1, and on November 5 the bridge was put into operation.

In 1967, due to errors made during construction, the waterproofing was critically worn out, and 56 cables supporting the structure burst. The bridge was closed to traffic, leaving only tram traffic. Until 1982, no repair work was carried out, but after a 17-ton part of the left adjustable wing collapsed into the water, it was closed completely, and a ferry service was established across the Neva.

A few years later, the bridge was opened to traffic again, but a full reconstruction was carried out only in 2000-2002: 12 m of steel ropes were replaced, waterproofing was established, and cosmetic repairs were performed. Later, for the city’s anniversary, illumination with 760 LED spotlights was installed.

Alexander Nevsky Bridge today

The Alexander Nevsky Bridge is a structure of 7 spans, 5 of which are located above the river, and 2 along the banks. The adjustable central span is made of metal and reaches a length of 50 m. The wings open in 2 minutes using a hydraulic mechanism.

The individual parts of the bridge are held together by cables - steel cables, each 7 cm thick, passed through technological holes in the metal elements. The tension of the cables can be adjusted depending on weather conditions: in cold weather, loosen, and in warm weather, tighten more.

The capacity of the Alexander Nevsky Bridge is: 3 car flows in one direction, 3 in the other, 2 tram lines and 2 sidewalks for pedestrians on the sides. Despite the width of 35 m, traffic jams form on the bridge during rush hours. City residents are advised to use the metro at this time. Mid-flight disengagement time: 2:20 to 5:10 am.