When will the railway bridge to the Crimea be opened?

Since the accession of Crimea to the Russian Federation, the peninsula and everything connected with it is the most popular news in all sources. But for several years now, as everyone's attention is focused on the Crimean railway bridge. Media both from the Russian Federation and the Ukrainian side “keep abreast”, telling in detail how the construction of the railway is going on and when it is planned to open.

The communication of Crimea with the "big land" is a task dating back more than one century. In ancient times, the peninsula with the continent was connected by a narrow isthmus, along which the Chumatsky route passed. He connected the Crimean khanates and the territory of the lower Cossacks, played the role of a trade route along which merchants carried their goods on both sides and often passed the troops of those who wanted to capture the rich Crimean lands. Over time, this path "populated" and was gradually abandoned completely. But the territory of Crimea was still a tasty booty. No wonder that during the Great Patriotic War, bloody battles between the fascist-German invaders and the Red Army were fought for it. The Germans understood how profitable it was to have these lands in their hands, and tried with all their might to master them.

When Ukraine was devastated and some regions wanted to secede, having gained independence, Crimea did not stand aside. The result was transport isolation, which Ukraine punished the peninsula for self-will. The accession to Russia brought the Crimea out of this isolation, and the opening of the railway bridge will finally solve the problem of communication with the peninsula. The very idea of ​​such a construction is not new.

They remembered him only during the Great Patriotic War, when the Germans wanted to build a road bridge in order to ensure unhindered communication with the Kuban, which, like the Crimea, was occupied. Their plans were hindered by a turning point that forced them to retreat under the onslaught of the Russian army.

The plans of the invaders were carried out by the Soviet Union, after the war, having built a railway bridge in the narrowest part of the strait, the width of which was only four kilometers. But for a long time this bridge did not serve - it was damaged by a powerful ice drift. They did not begin to repair the structure, since at that time the task of building tracks along the territory of Ukraine came to the fore.

During perestroika, Japanese experts were engaged in the design of the bridge.

All necessary surveys were carried out, calculations were made, but the construction was never started due to excessive soil mobility, stormy climate, high silt thickness and the presence of a large number of active bottom mud volcanoes at the site of the proposed construction.

The construction of the railway bridge, which will connect Crimea with the territory of Russia, is nearing completion. The car part is already operational, its opening took place on May 15, 2018, but the railway section will be launched later. To date, the main work is considered completed. At the beginning of 2018, the first details of railway spans for the future road were laid. Advancement of the plan upon delivery of the automobile zone of the bridge inspires that the railway should be completed and delivered ahead of schedule. However, in addition to the bridge itself, it is planned to build and restore the following objects:

• junction railway stations for freight trains;
• Dzhankoy station, together with the Feodosia – Simferopol section of the road;
• depot for cars and locomotives in the same Simferopol and Feodosia.

In addition, it is necessary by land to bring the railway tracks to the bridge on both sides, to create repair bases in those places where the road will pass in order to be able to quickly carry out the necessary work. At the moment, the issue of creating repair depots has already been resolved. They came close to him almost immediately after the accession of the peninsula to Russia, now the objects are completely ready for work. Of much greater interest at present is the question of when the railway bridge will open. The deadlines set for the end of 2019 indicate that the completion of work is not far off.

If everything goes as planned, then at the beginning of 2020 the bridge will work. However, if we recall how much faster the work on the automobile bridge was completed, we can assume that the same story will repeat with the railway part. The estimated date of delivery of the bridge for vehicles was set for December 2018. The actual launch of traffic on the bridge occurred almost six months earlier - in May of that year.

At the end of 2018, the first details of railway spans were installed. Next, the builders started installing branches, for each of which they had to use super-powerful jacks. They resisted the weight of 500-1000 tons, and also pushed branches to the supports. Currently, work is going on.

1. To continue construction on Tuzla (an arched sandy island located in the southern section of the strait) bring elements of future spans by sea, which are subsequently collected on a special stand. The speed of assembly work, according to the contractors, is four and a half centimeters per minute. In total, thirty spans are planned to be collected at the surface section.
2. In addition to prefabricated elements, the design of the bridge will include about ten parts connected by bolt and welding methods. They will provide additional bridge strength, reliability and durability.
3. Basic piles, which account for the main load, were installed at a fairly close distance - no more than sixty meters from each other, which will evenly distribute the load and reduce the length of the spans themselves, which means to increase the level of safety of the bridge during operation. The total number of piles is 64. With a relatively small total length of structures, which is six kilometers, it may seem that there are too many of them and they are located too often, close to each other. However, this decision is more than justified and dictated by security considerations.

The mass of the structure, despite everything, is impressive - it will have to be about sixty thousand tons. Of course, one of the longest bridges in the Russian Federation cannot have the weight of a cannon, but this figure - 60,000 tons - is somewhat staggering.

Crimean railway bridge is one of the largest projects in the last few years. The prospects for its use are truly grandiose. No wonder its social significance and economic merits are so highly praised by experts. This new railway connecting the peninsula and the "big land" will allow not only passenger, but also freight transportation, which is of high economic significance.

The development of tourism, agriculture, industry, trade - all this will be possible in the Crimea after the bridge is put into operation.

As for the technical characteristics, here he also boasts “special articles”. They plan to build it in two parts. It will consist of a highway and a railway track.

The route will also be made separate - for trucks and cars. This will make traffic on the bridge more convenient and safe. The railway itself is built according to a special technology - there are almost no joints between the rails in it. Long rail lashes (more than twenty-five meters) can reduce the number of connections. This, in turn, reduces the noise level when trains are moving, making their course smoother. In addition, this solution increases the term, reliability and ease of operation of the railway.

The dimensions of the structure rightfully make it one of the most ambitious, large-scale structures, at least in the Russian Federation. When the bridge is ready, it is assumed that its height will be about 50 meters, and in shipping areas - up to 35 meters. The canvas will reach a length of nineteen kilometers. For the local population, this project has another meaning.

See how the construction of the railway bridge is underway.