Crimean Bridge technical parameters of the object. The height of the Crimean bridge above the water and other interesting facts about the project

Before choosing a specific option and deciding on an estimate, experts considered 74 options for transport crossings, recalls the head of Rosavtodor, Roman Starovoyt. Among them was a double-decker bridge, and underwater tunnel along the bottom of the Kerch Strait at a depth of 100 m, but the choice fell on the bridge crossing at the Tuzlinsky alignment. The bridge could have been much shorter if it had been built in the area of the Chushka Spit, where the ferry crossing is now located. But this option was not suitable due to the tectonic fault and mud volcanoes located there. In addition, construction would completely stop the operation of the ferry crossing, says Starovoit.

In February 2016, the Crimean Bridge project received a positive conclusion from the Glavgosexpertiza. After this, construction began.

How the contractor was appointed

The cost of the bridge is 227.9 billion rubles, the project contractor received a contract for 222.4 billion rubles. The general contractor, Arkady Rotenberg's Stroygazmontazh LLC, was selected without a competition due to the lack of competitors.

The structures of Gennady Timchenko were also interested in the project, but in the end they did not apply for it. “This is a very difficult project for us. I’m not sure that we can handle it,” TASS quoted Timchenko as saying. “I don’t want to take on reputational risks.” Rotenberg, in an interview with Kommersant, called the Crimean Bridge his “contribution to the development of the country.”

Mostotrest became the main subcontractor of Stroygazmontazh - it received a contract for 96.9 billion rubles. At the time of receiving the contract, this company also belonged to Rotenberg. Shortly before construction of the bridge began, he sold his share. But in April 2018, the businessman bought it back. The businessman’s representative explained this by the growth of Mostotrest’s competencies during the construction of the bridge. For example, the highlight was the construction and then installation within 72 hours of the railway and road arches of both bridges. The length of the spans is 227 m, and the arches themselves weigh 7,000 tons for the railway part and 6,000 tons for the road part. A wide corridor is provided for the passage of ships passing through the Kerch Strait: arched spans rise 35 m above the water.

The Crimean Bridge is almost completed. What does he look like right now

Dmitry Simakov / Vedomosti

How they built it

The main construction and installation work began in 2016, they unfolded simultaneously along the entire length of the bridge - in eight sea and land sections - and not from bank to bank, as in traditional bridge construction. The main problems were related to weather conditions: the Kerch Strait has complex geology, high seismicity (up to 9 points) and difficult meteorological conditions. “The Crimean Bridge is being built under seismic conditions. danger zone and in conditions of weak soils - instead of hard rocks at the bottom of the Kerch Strait there are multi-meter layers of silt and sand. Therefore, the bridge design must have increased strength. To do this, the piles were immersed in the ground to a depth of 105 m,” comments the chief specialist in artificial structures DSK "Avtobahn" Vladimir Tsoi. In addition, to ensure seismic resistance, piles are driven both vertically and at an angle; inclined ones will withstand the load much better floating ice during the period of ice drift, continues Tsoi. At the heart of the Crimean Bridge there are more than 6,500 piles, above them there are 595 supports, and the weight of one span over the water reaches 580 tons.

How did you spend your money?

The project costs 170 billion rubles. provided for the creation of the main structures of road and railway bridges and adjacent sections, 9 billion rubles. – for design and survey work, another 4.8 billion rubles. They go towards the purchase of land and unforeseen expenses, the remaining costs (about 44 billion rubles) are preparation of the territory, temporary buildings and structures, energy facilities, says Starovoit. They also tried to save money, for example, by selecting the optimal solution for the length of spans in terms of cost and manufacturability - on average 55 and 63 m, Ilya Rutman, general director of the Giprostroymost - St. Petersburg Institute, conveyed through a representative.

Despite this, the burden on the budget turned out to be more than significant. Due to the construction of the Crimean Bridge, it was decided to refuse to finance the construction of another important geopolitical transport facility - a bridge over the Lena River in Yakutia, regional and federal officials told Vedomosti. The project has not been abandoned; construction of the bridge will begin after 2020, says a representative of the Russian Ministry of Transport.

Bridge to Vacation

Thanks to the bridge, getting to Crimea will be much easier. The authorities of the peninsula are expecting an influx of tourists. Last year, 5.39 million people came to Crimea. The tourist flow after the commissioning of the bridge may increase 1.5–2 times – up to 8–10 million vacationers per year, the head of the region, Sergei Aksenov, wrote on his Facebook page.

But the ease of using the bridge will directly depend on when the adjacent roads will be completed, in particular federal highway“Tavrida,” says Chistyakov. "Tavrida" will connect Kerch with Simferopol and Sevastopol. The cost of the project will be 163 billion rubles, the contractor is VAD. The first stage of construction (two lanes) is planned to be completed by the end of 2018, the second (two more lanes) - by the end of 2020. If the bridge opens earlier than Tavrida, then traffic jams in Crimea cannot be avoided, Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov warned in the spring . Chairman of the State Committee for Road Management of Crimea Sergei Karpov also expects traffic difficulties on the territory of the peninsula.

Problems may arise on the other side of the bridge: roads Krasnodar region on the approaches to the bridge they are not yet ready for the load, says Chistyakov. A 40 km long road was built from the M25 highway Novorossiysk - Kerch Strait to the bridge. But some of the interchanges are still under construction, says a person close to Rosavtodor. Almost its entire length will be expanded from 2-3 lanes to four, said a representative of the Ministry of Transport. You can get to the bridge along the Krasnodar - Slavyansk-on-Kuban - Temryuk highway (P251) or through Krymsk (A146), says Chistyakov, but both roads are not highways and pass through settlements. Rosavtodor has a project for reconstructing the road through the city of Slavyansk-on-Kuban. It is considered the long-distance approaches to the bridge and was recently transferred to federal ownership. Its reconstruction is estimated at approximately 70 billion rubles, and is planned to be completed by 2023, said a person close to Rosavtodor. The only repaired road – through Krymsk – has been brought into standard condition, but it is actively used by freight transport, says Vedomosti’s interlocutor. Development plans road network around the Crimean Bridge in the Krasnodar Territory will be implemented in full almost simultaneously with the completion of the construction of the Tavrida highway to Crimea, a representative of the Ministry of Transport promises.

Record-breaking bridges

Luo Chunxiao/Imagine China/AP

Longest bridge
Danyang-Kunshan Viaduct ( railway bridge, part of the Beijing-Shanghai High Speed Railway)
Country: China
Length: 164.8 km
Opening - June 2011
Cost: $8.5 billion
Construction of the bridge began in 2008. The viaduct is located in Eastern China, between the cities of Nanjing and Shanghai. About 9 km of the bridge is laid over water. The largest body of water that the bridge crosses is Lake Yangcheng in Suzhou.

ERIC CABANIS/AFP

Most high bridge
Millau Viaduct(road bridge)
Length: 2.5 km
Country: France
Opening: December 2004
Cost: 394 million euros (according to Thomson Reuters - $523 million)
Construction of the bridge began in 2001. It is the last link of the route providing high-speed traffic from Paris to the city of Beziers. Maximum height(supports) is 343 m, which is 19 meters higher than the Eiffel Tower.

The longest combined road and railway bridge in Europe
Oresund Bridge (bridge-tunnel)
Country: Sweden, Denmark
Length: 7.8 km
Opening: July 2000
Cost: $3.8 billion
A combined bridge-tunnel comprising a double-track railway and a four-lane highway across the Öresund Strait. It is the longest combined road and railway bridge in Europe, connecting the Danish capital Copenhagen and the Swedish city of Malmö. The bridge connects to the Drogden tunnel on the artificial island of Peberholm. The 4-kilometer tunnel is a connection of 5 pipes: two for trains, two for cars and one for emergencies.

The most expensive bridge per 1 km
Third bridge across the Bosphorus
Country: Türkiye
Length: 2.2 km
Opening: August 2016
Cost: $3 billion
The bridge became part of the Northern Marmari ring road under construction with a total length of 257 km. The peculiarity of the bridge is its combined design: part of the deck is supported by cables, part by cables and cables, the middle of the main span is suspended on cables. The bridge is considered the widest suspension bridge in the world. Car traffic lanes – 4 in each direction (8 in total); in addition, there are two railway tracks.

Alex Brandon/AP

The oldest and longest bridge across the lake
Causeway Bridge over Lake Pontchartrain (road bridge)
Country: USA
Length: 38.4 km
Opening: August 1956, May 1969
Cost: $76 million
It is considered one of the oldest bridges in the world - the idea of its construction dates back to the 19th century, but construction began in 1948 and was completed in 1956. Before the construction of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, it was considered the most long bridge over water in the world. Connects the cities of Mandeville and Metairie in Louisiana. The structure consists of two parallel bridges, the first of which was opened in 1956, the second opened in 1969. The bridge is tolled, and since 1956 its price has been $2. Annual traffic has increased from 50,000 vehicles in 1956 to 12 million today.

Anastasia Korotkova participated in the preparation of the article

No matter where you are in Russia, you have heard news about the most ambitious Russian project at the federal level more than once. It's about about the Crimean bridge across the Kerch Strait. In this article we will briefly analyze everything you wanted to know about it - important characteristics, exact facts, figures and plans.

What will happen in the end?

The height above the water is not the most grandiose feature of this project. However, we will definitely return to this data. The object itself is truly large-scale - it will be one of the longest bridges in Russia ( total length- 19 km). The crossing will be both road and railway.

The bridge will originate on the Taman Peninsula, then pass along a five-kilometer dam and cross Fr. Tuzla. Then it will spread across the Kerch Strait in order to reach the shore of the Crimean Peninsula from Cape Ak-Burun.

According to preliminary plans, the first cars will cross the bridge in December 2018. And train traffic will be launched a little later - in 2019.

Brief history and construction features

Just a few words about the history of the design and construction of the Crimean Bridge across the Kerch Strait. The idea was born immediately after the historical reunification of the Russian Federation and Crimea. In January 2015, a detailed concept for the grandiose transport crossing was ready.

The next stage is the publication by the Russian Government of an order to identify one single contractor, who is obliged to both fully prepare and present the project and implement it. Even the development had to include all the details, including calculation of the height of the Crimean Bridge arch.

On January 30, 2015, the Government of the Russian Federation issued Order No. 118-r, which identified the main participants in the project. On February 17, 2015, the institution "Management federal highways Taman of the Russian Highways signed a contract with Stroygazmontazh LLC. And this organization in April of the same year entered into an agreement for the development of the project with ZAO Giprostroymost Institute St. Petersburg. In 2015, SGM-Most LLC was also created, an organization whose goal is to manage the construction of the facility.

Muddy bottom.
Increased seismic activity.
Specific climatic conditions.

All this must be taken into account in order to build a durable structure that requires a minimum of repair and restoration work in the future in order to avoid terrible tragedies.

About shipping arches

The new bridge will in no way impede or restrict navigation on the route across the Kerch Strait. For the smooth passage of vessels and ships, special arches 227 meters long are provided.

What is the height of the Crimean Bridge above the water? It rises 35 meters above the surface of the sea. It follows that the scaffolding dimension is equal to this figure.

About the highway

Along with the height of the Crimean Bridge above the water, Russians are interested in knowing the characteristics of the future highway:

It is planned to launch a four-lane highway: two in one direction, two in the other.
The estimated speed of vehicles on the bridge will reach 120 km/h.
It is estimated that the capacity of the crossing currently under construction will reach 40 thousand vehicles of various sizes per day!

About the railway

Travelers and lovers of southern holidays on the shores of the gentle warm sea are concerned not so much with the height of the Crimean Bridge above the water, but with the peculiarities of railway traffic along it.

Here is the necessary information:

Experts estimate the crossing capacity at 47 train pairs per day.
The estimated speed of passenger trains will be 120 km/h.
Now about the "freight trains". Maximum speed movement of freight trains - 80 km/h.

The railway will run next to the road, parallel to the latter.

Project goals

So, we've dealt with the most important characteristics the Crimean bridge under construction. Let's look at the goals that the state pursued when starting this grandiose project:

Creation of completely free road transport both with Sevastopol and with the entire Crimea.
Increasing the tourist attractiveness of the region due to the ease of access to it.
Uninterrupted freight and passenger rail services.
Increased investment attractiveness of both Kuban and the Crimean Peninsula.
Impulse for economic development southern regions RF.
Establishing stable trade turnover between mainland Russia and the peninsula.

So we found out not only that the height of the Crimean Bridge over the surface of the Black Sea is 35 meters, but also other interesting information about this grandiose object. You can continue to monitor the progress of its construction both on the official website of the project and in a number of communities social networks- “VKontakte”, “Twitter”, “Odnoklassniki”, “Facebook”, “Instagram”, on “YouTube”.

Crimean or Kerch Bridge– a project that has been planned for just over 100 years. Crimea has always been one of essential elements self-awareness of Russians. Construction of the largest and longest structure in Russian Federation considered a symbol of patriotism, movement towards a new world. The construction of the Crimean Bridge became one of the most significant events in history modern Russia. Its opening marked a new era in the socio-economic segment of life on the peninsula and the whole country.

Top view of the Crimean Bridge across the Kerch Strait

Bridge length	19 kilometers
Bridge height	80 meters
Height of the vault above the water	35 meters
Axle width (auto part)	19.5 meters
Number of lanes	6 (4 cars, 2 railway)
Car throughput/day	40 000
Construction start date	February 2016
Bridge opening date	May 16, 2018
Permitted speed	90 km/h
Price	227.92 billion rubles

The idea of building the Crimean Bridge

The most large-scale and labor-intensive construction on the territory of the Russian Federation is almost completed. But the project is not a new trend. It was planned to build the Crimean Bridge in the distant times of the reign of Tsar Nicholas II. In 1910 Russian Empire There was already a plan according to which it was planned to connect the peninsula with the main continent. But the project was not destined to take place due to the outbreak of the First World War.

At the end of hostilities and post-war reconstruction country, the idea to build the Kerch Bridge has not disappeared. In the 1930s, Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin again thought about the need to build a road across the strait. The plans included laying railway tracks. But this time, too, the implementation of large-scale construction was prevented by the unstable situation in the world.

In 1944, a railway bridge to Crimea was finally built. Construction lasted 150 days, and its length reached 4.5 kilometers. The work was carried out on Hitler's orders German specialists. During the siege of Crimea, this route was necessary for transporting goods to Kuban. After displacement German army the building was heavily damaged, but soviet engineers were able to restore and improve the routes through the Kerch Strait.

Crimean Bridge on the map

But the winter of 1945 turned out to be too harsh for construction; the authorities did not have the opportunity to devote time to maintaining and timely strengthening the crossing. By February, more of the supports had been destroyed by ice, causing a serious accident. Ideas for restoring the building arose in 1946, but the project was considered too costly. The bridge across the Kerch Strait was never built.

The final stage in planning communication between the peninsula and the Russian Federation was negotiations with Ukraine in 2010–2013. An agreement was concluded to create a path through the water. But the final and successful construction began after Crimea became part of the Russian Federation.

Chronology of the construction of the Crimean Bridge

After the annexation of the peninsula to Russia, the ministers were asked about transport links with the peninsula. Official construction of the Kerch Bridge began in February 2016, when builders immersed the first piles. After this, work unfolded in several directions - sea and land routes.

Initially, there were 4 options for connecting the ground, taking into account various factors. Three ideas originated from a spit called Chushka, but they turned out to be less successful, so it was decided to choose a less dangerous project. The choice of where the Crimean Bridge begins and ends fell on the gap from the Taman Peninsula, going through the Tuzlinskaya Spit and the Tuzla Island itself.

The decision was due to the fact that in other parts there was a high risk of building a building due to tectonic faults. In addition, it was necessary to place facilities for servicing the facility and construction sites within the boundaries.

Construction of the Crimean Bridge began at the beginning of 2016 under the leadership of the Stroygazmontazh company. By spring, support structures were built. At the beginning of summer, the construction company installed the first span structures. The work was carried out immediately from eight points of the future bridge.

Already on April 26, 2018, evaluation tests of the automobile part of the bridge were carried out. Ready project was commissioned by the contractor ahead of schedule - May 16, 2018. Completion of work on the creation of the railway part will last until 2019.

Video: Special report on the construction of the Crimean Bridge

Main characteristics of the Crimean Bridge

The length of the Crimean Bridge is considered the largest among other elevated transport routes in the country. Moreover, it has two parts located above the water, as well as a section that provides supports on the island of Tuzla.

The team working on the design of the structure paid special attention to the features of the building. It was extremely important not to create barriers to shipping traffic, and also to ensure a reliable crossing that would withstand natural conditions.

The length of the Crimean Bridge across the Kerch Strait from the peninsula to the island of Tuzla is 5.5 kilometers. On this section there is a shipping corridor that allows sea communication. The undulating arrangement of the structure’s nodes is due to the need to bypass seismically active and volcanic areas. Therefore, the length of the Kerch Bridge is considered colossal in comparison with modern buildings in the country.

The 2017 work proved to be the most challenging, with builders having to lay out the offshore spans of the structure. Meticulous and well-planned actions made it possible to pave a significant path in short term. Possible difficulties with unstable soil were taken into account, natural conditions. Crimean Bridge length – 19 km.

The structure is considered not only the longest, but also quite high, since the total vertical distance reaches 80 meters. The height of the Crimean Bridge along the upper support (vault) is 35 meters.

Crimean Bridge - infographics

Geographical location of the Crimean Bridge

The construction originates from the Russian mainland on the Taman Peninsula. It is from this section that you need to start the journey if you are planning a trip to Crimea using the new design. The end of the crossing is located in the area of historical monuments cultural heritage land. You can find out where the Crimean Bridge begins and ends by looking at a modern atlas.

A similar route can be made from the Kerch Peninsula to the mainland. At the end of the road, the driver will find himself in Taman. The Crimean Bridge is already shown on the map with the necessary landmarks, so travelers will not have any difficulty in finding the way. During the trip, the Tuzlinskaya Spit is crossed.

At the time of design, there were disputes about which points the Crimean Bridge would connect. But after thorough analysis it was decided that the crossing from Tuzla, and not Chushka, would be the best option. This is due a large number difficulties associated with the construction of the structure across the Chushka Peninsula.

The Crimean Bridge on the map of the Black Sea passes through the Kerch Strait, skirting dangerous volcanic territories. From the Tuzlinskaya Spit, the distance to Tuzla Island reaches 7 km. The distance along the land part is 6.5 km, and the length of the sea section near the Kerch Peninsula is 5.5 km.

Before opening they were installed road signs to the Crimean Bridge, indicating where to go from and to. Therefore, those who do not live in the nearby area will also find their way to the bridge. There is also lighting along the route, which allows you to comfortably move around the grandiose structure.

Where the Crimean Bridge begins from the main part of Russia, there is a mark on the map - Taman. This peninsula is officially considered the place from where there is a crossing to Kerch. During construction, a camp was built in the village for shift workers erecting the structure.

Opening of the Crimean Bridge

So far, the Crimean Bridge has been opened only in the automobile part. The railway passage is still being finalized, and final measures are being carried out. In addition, there are still restrictions for freight transport. The launch of traffic on the railway line is planned for the winter of 2019.

Official opening date of Krymsky road bridge– at 5.30 am on May 16. Russian President Vladimir Putin came to the grand event.

One of the first to walk through the finished and open structure was the unofficial mascot of the construction site - a cat named Bridge, who accompanied the process of constructing the colossal project.

The mascot of the Crimean Bridge is a cat named Mostik

The grand opening of the Crimean Bridge was accompanied by driving on both sides of the Kerch Strait without stopping transport. It became important requirement for the operation of the building. The crossing must be carried out in accordance with the route map provided by the authorities. Passage is not yet provided for trucks over 3.5 tons.

So, since May 2018, traffic on the Crimean Bridge has been officially opened for motorists and motorcyclists. Trucks will be able to cross the structure by the fall of 2018, and railway tracks will be fully ready for operation by December 2019.

Will the Crimean Bridge be tolled?

The traffic pattern along the Crimean Bridge is standard, but it is important to take into account that you cannot make stops along the way across the crossing. Authorities did not announce collection of funds for travel on the new structure. The movement is open and free except certain restrictions. The vehicle capacity per day is 40,000. Total quantity There are 4 lanes for driving (2 on both sides of the road).

The route to the Crimean Bridge is available on the website of the Crimean Road Ministry. From the mainland, you must approach the structure from Taman on the corresponding peninsula. For environmental reasons, the closest connection of the route departing from the crossing with Kerch is 5 km from the city.

The permitted speed on the Crimean Bridge for cars is no more than 90 km/h. The design speed for freight trains is 80 km/h, and for passenger trains – 120 km/h.

The construction of the Crimean Bridge is rightfully considered the Construction of the Century for the Russian Federation. This structure is the longest in the country, but also equals the longest buildings in Europe. Connecting the peninsula with the mainland will allow economic policy on new level, as well as regulate pricing in Crimea. This is an excellent event for tourism and other segments of the country’s life.

Positive changes after the construction of the Crimean Bridge - infographics

At the opening ceremony of the road part of the Crimean Bridge. The head of state inspected the readiness of the Unified Control Center traffic and all operational services for the operation of the transport crossing. Car traffic on the bridge will begin on May 16.

The Crimean Bridge will connect the Kerch Peninsula (Crimea) with the Taman Peninsula (Krasnodar Territory). It will ensure uninterrupted transport links Crimea with mainland Russia. The bridge begins on the Taman Peninsula, runs along the existing five-kilometer dam and Tuzla Island, crosses the Kerch Strait, skirting Cape Ak-Burun from the north, and reaches the Crimean coast. The transport crossing consists of parallel road and railway routes. Pedestrian areas and there are no bicycle paths.

Story

The railway bridge across the Kerch Strait was first built during the Great Patriotic War. In the fall of 1944, it was erected by Soviet military engineers in 150 days. The bridge connected the Krasnodar coast near the Chushka spit with the Crimean coast near the village of Zhukovka. The structure, 4.5 km long and 22 m wide, consisted of 115 spans and a device for passing ships. On February 18, 1945, the bridge was destroyed by a powerful ice drift from Sea of Azov. Instead of a bridge crossing, on September 22, 1954, a ferry crossing across the Kerch Strait began operating (Krasnodar port "Caucasus" - port "Crimea").

Since the late 1990s, the idea of building a combined road-railway bridge across the strait has been actively discussed by Russian and Ukrainian authorities. In February 2014, after a violent change of power in Ukraine, negotiations were terminated. In March of the same year, Crimea was reunited with Russia. The main transport corridor connecting the peninsula with the mainland of the Russian Federation remained the Kerch ferry crossing.

On March 19, 2014, Russian President Vladimir Putin set the Russian Ministry of Transport the task of building a bridge across the strait in two versions - road and rail. Of the several proposed projects, the most optimal was considered to be the one that provided for construction not in the narrowest section of the strait, like the bridge built in 1944, but to the south - from the Taman Peninsula to Kerch via Tuzla Island. In August 2014, Russian President Vladimir Putin approved the design documentation for the construction of a bridge crossing with a highway and electrified railway tracks.

Project implementers

The customer of the project was the federal government agency "Office of Federal highways"Taman" of the Federal Road Agency of the Russian Federation. In accordance with the government order dated January 30, 2015, Stroygazmontazh LLC (part of the SGM group of companies Arkady Rotenberg) was identified as the general contractor for the work. The bridge construction project is managed by Stroygazmontazh-Most LLC.

Almost 220 Russian enterprises are involved in the construction of the bridge; construction is carried out by more than 30 bridge crews, more than 10 thousand workers and over 1.5 thousand engineering and technical specialists.

Main technical characteristics

The total length of the bridge is 19 km (it will become the longest in Russia);
four-lane highway(two lanes in each direction) with a total capacity of up to 40 thousand cars per day;
the permitted speed on the highway for cars is 90 km/h;
two railway tracks with a capacity of up to 47 pairs of trains per day;
the permitted speed of passenger trains is 90 km/h, freight trains are 80 km/h;
capacity - 14 million passengers and 13 million tons of cargo per year;
For navigation, arched spans 35 m high are provided.

The transport transition project also includes the construction of railway and road infrastructure on both banks of the Kerch Strait. More than 100 km of road and railway approaches are being built.

The railway approaches to the bridge from the Krasnodar Territory and Crimea are roads with a length of 40 and 17.5 km. They will be put into operation in 2019, simultaneously with the railway part of the crossing.

Financing

The cost of the state contract for the design and construction of the bridge (the costs of the contractor Stroygazmontazh LLC) was approved in the amount of 223 billion 143 million rubles in the prices of the corresponding years. The total cost of construction will be 227.922 billion rubles. Work is carried out only at the expense of funds federal budget within the framework of the federal target program "Socio-economic development of the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol until 2020".

Bridge name

Until the end of 2017, there was no transport crossing through the Kerch Strait official name. The question about the name of the future bridge was asked to Russian President Vladimir Putin at a large press conference on December 23, 2016. In response, the head of state proposed to find out the opinion of Russians through a survey.

On November 16, 2017, a vote started on the nazovimost.rf website, during which users were asked to choose a name for the bridge. The five most popular options were submitted for consideration: Crimean, Kerch, Tuzlinsky, Friendship Bridge and Reunion Bridge. Voting participants could also propose their own name.

Construction stages

By the end of 2015, the infrastructure necessary for construction was created on both sides of the Kerch Strait. To ensure transport connections with offshore areas, temporary working bridges were erected from which operations were carried out. technological work in the waters of the strait. In October 2015, the first working bridge, 1.2 km long, connected the Taman Peninsula and Tuzla. Two more (1.8 and 2 km long) - towards each other from Kerch and Tuzla Island - were put into operation in the summer of 2016. On March 18 of the same year, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the construction site for the first time.

On March 10, 2016, builders began the construction of pile foundations for the supports of the Kerch Bridge on land, and on May 17 - on the offshore sections.

In mid-June 2017, the assembly of the navigable arch of the railway part of the bridge was completed (weight - about 6 thousand tons, consists of more than 400 large elements). The railway span is a combination of a span with through main trusses and an arch. Installation of the arch began on August 27, 2017. It was delivered to the transport crossing by a special floating system, then the lifting of the structure onto the fairway supports began. On August 29, the railway arch span was raised to its design height. Naval operation in transportation and lifting of the arch became unique for Russian bridge construction. According to the construction information center, arched spans with such dimensions have not yet been installed in marine conditions.

At the end of July 2017, the assembly of the road part of the bridge was completed on the Kerch bank (weight - about 5.5 thousand tons, consists of almost 200 large elements). Arched spans are the largest elements of the Crimean Bridge, the length of each is 227 m, the height of the arch is highest point- 45 m. On October 11, 2017, the operation to transport the road arch began. On October 12, the arched span was lifted onto fairway supports and secured. Once installed, it ensured the unhindered passage of ships through a free space 185 m wide and 35 m high from sea level.

On February 2, 2017, construction of the spans between the offshore supports of the crossing began. By the beginning of 2018, almost all the piles for the road and railway parts of the future bridge had been installed - more than 6.5 thousand pieces. In some areas, the depth of their immersion reached 105 m, which corresponds to the height of a 35-story building. More than 130 thousand out of almost 250 thousand tons of metal structures of span structures have been assembled.

By the end of April 2018, the builders had completely completed laying the asphalt concrete pavement on the road part of the transport crossing and carried out static and dynamic tests of this part of the bridge. At the beginning of May, the construction customer, the Taman Federal Highway Administration, accepted the road part of the Crimean Bridge to complete preparations for the opening of traffic.

Opening of traffic on the bridge

The opening of working vehicle traffic on the bridge was planned in December 2018, the start of temporary operation of the railway line in December 2019.

In a number of areas, work was carried out ahead of schedule. On March 14, 2018, Russian President Vladimir Putin, who visited the construction site, did not rule out that vehicle traffic would be opened earlier than planned. At the same time, the head of the Stroygazmontazh company, Arkady Rotenberg, said that the builders would be ready to hand over the automotive part of the facility after May 9, 2018.

The Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation is considering a step-by-step scheme for organizing traffic along the automobile part of the crossing of the Kerch Strait. At the first stage - in May 2018 - the passage will be open to passenger vehicles and passenger buses. The start of regular freight transport is planned for the end of 2018.

According to information center"Crimean Bridge", traffic for motorists will be opened on May 16 at 05:30 Moscow time simultaneously from both banks of the Kerch Strait. At the same time, the entrance to the road approaches to the bridge from the Taman and Kerch peninsulas will be opened an hour before the official start of traffic. From the Krasnodar Territory, the federal highway A-290 leads to the bridge to the junction with the new road on the Taman Peninsula, then 40 km along the road approach to the bridge. From the Crimea side, traffic starts from the junction on the existing Simferopol - Kerch highway and then 8.6 km to the transport crossing.

For now, you can get to Crimea by ferry, where due to large flow tourists there was a lot difficult situation. During the holiday season, about 2 thousand cars accumulate at the crossing and have to wait for their turn for days.

In order to select the most optimal option for laying the bridge, 74 options were analyzed. The potential intensity of automobile and railway transport, construction costs, feasibility of constructing tunnel crossings.

Experts immediately named the “Tuzlinsky alignment” as the most likely, since this particular route of the Kerch Bridge was initially shorter than others, by 10-15 km. However, its main advantage is its remoteness from the Kerch ferry crossing and intensive shipping.

This option also makes it possible to use the 750-meter wide Tuzlinskaya Spit. It is proposed to lay a road and railway along it, which will reduce the number of bridge crossings by 6.5 km, which means that the labor intensity and cost of construction will be reduced significantly.

The first bridge, 1.4 km long, will run from the Taman Peninsula to Tuzla Island, and the second, 6.1 km long, is designed to connect Tuzla with the Kerch Peninsula. Total length The bridge will be about 19 km.

On the Crimean coast there will be a highway to the M-17 highway 8 km long and a railway 17.8 km long to the station. Bagerovo, through which the railway of republican significance passes. IN Krasnodar region a highway to the M-25 road with a length of 41 km and a railway with a length of 42 km to the intermediate station Vyshesteblievskaya are being designed railway Caucasus-Crimea.

Few people know, but the railway bridge across the Kerch Strait has already been built once. More than fifty years ago, when the Germans still hoped to gain complete power over all of Eurasia, Hitler nurtured a blue dream - to connect Germany with the Persian Gulf countries by rail through the Kerch Strait. During the occupation of the peninsula fascist troops Steel structures were brought to Crimea for the construction of the bridge. Work began in the spring of 1944, after the liberation of the Crimean peninsula from the Nazi invaders.

On November 3, 1944, the bridge was opened railway traffic. However, after just three months, the bridge's supports were destroyed by ice. Having lost my strategic importance, the bridge was dismantled and replaced with a ferry crossing. However, regardless of such a seemingly primitive design, the construction of a bridge of such length on a sea strait in wartime - historical event and technical achievement.

The new Kerch Bridge is supposed to be made of two levels, since it should include railway tracks and a highway. At the same time, on some sections of the bridge, trains will move parallel to cars, and on others, they will pass over or under them.