Divorced bridges where the city is located. Where in the world are there drawbridges?

The city of white nights on the Neva is famous not only for its palaces and temples. No less brilliant are his drawbridges! northern capital was originally built as an important shipping center, so in the time of Peter all the bridges here were drawbridges. At first, these were absolutely artless structures, wooden, without any decorations. But as St. Petersburg was transformed, stone supports, openwork cast-iron arches and lattices appeared. Now only 21 out of more than 800 bridges are being built. Among them, the most popular among tourists are: Foundry, Trinity and Palace.

The most interesting drawbridges in St. Petersburg:

Palace Bridge 260 meters long - a crossing along the Bolshaya Neva between Admiralteysky Island and Vasilyevsky arrow. The spans that rise weigh more than 700 tons. It was built in 1916 and reconstructed twice. The main architectural highlight is the effect of the road, creeping on the water.

2.
Trinity bridge

Trinity bridge 580 meters long - the longest of the Neva. It was laid between Suvorovskaya and Troitskaya squares. Built at the end of the 19th century by the French, reconstructed by the Russians. At the opening in 1903, there were the French President and Tsar Nicholas II, who personally launched the first bridge span.
Foundry bridge- the oldest of this trio, built in 1879, connects the Vyborg side with Liteiny Prospekt. They raise here, as in Troitsky, only 1 span. This bridge is famous not only for the mermaids with the coat of arms of St. Petersburg on the gratings, but also for the fact that for the first time in Russia lanterns with electricity were installed here.

3.
Foundry bridge

If you come to St. Petersburg and want to get to the bridges, then keep in mind that they are not bred if the temperature is above 25 degrees and the wind speed is more than 15 meters per second.

Bridge draw schedule:

The opening of the bridges can only be observed during the shipping season, which usually starts at the end of April and ends in mid-November.

On the Ladoga bridge on Tuesday-Thursday, wiring from 10.00 to 11.00 and from 15.00 to 15.40. Monday only 15.00 - 15.40, Friday only 10.00 - 11.00. The bridge is closed on Saturday and Sunday.
Kuzminsky bridge: on weekdays 13.30 - 14.30, if there is a preliminary application.
Foundry: daily 1.40 - 4.45.
Palace: 1.05 - 4.55.
Volodarsky bridge: 2.00 - 3.45, 4.15 - 5.45.
Finnish: 2.20 – 5.30.
Bolsheokhtinsky: 2.00 - 5.00.
Tuchkov: 2.00 - 2.55, 3.35 - 4.55.
Blagoveshchensky: 1.25 - 2.45, 3.10 - 5.00.
Exchange: 2.00 - 4.55.
Sampsonievsky bridge: 1.30 - 4.30.
Alexander Nevsky: 2.20 - 5.10.
Trinity: 1.35 - 4.50.
Grenadier: 1.30 - 4.30 on request.
Kantemirovsky: 1.30 - 4.30 on request.

Petersburg is my favorite city! What is yours?

Bridges are a kind of brand of St. Petersburg. In all cities built on rivers, there are bridges, but only in St. Petersburg they have acquired a special meaning, they have become one of the symbols of the city.

Bridge draw schedule 2019 in St. Petersburg

Alexander Nevsky 02:20 — 05:10
Exchange 02:00 — 02:55 03:35 04:55
Blagoveshchensky 01:25 — 02:45 03:10 — 05:00
Bolsheokhtinsky 02:00 — 5:00
Volodarsky 02:00 — 03:45 04:15 — 05:45
Palace 01:10 — 02:50 03:10 — 04:55
Casting 01:40 — 04:45
Trinity 01:20 — 04:50
Tuchkov 02:00 - 02:55 and 03:35 - 04:55

Sampsonievsky, Kantemirovsky and Grenadier bridges are rarely opened from 1:30 to 4:30 upon prior request two days in advance

For our readers, we have compiled a list of places where you never get bored. Read also our other detailed selections:
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« » - where to go in Petersburg!

St. Petersburg is a city of rivers, canals and small rivers. There are hundreds of bridges and bridges here, several dozen of them across the Neva and its branches. But only eight bridges are being built across the Bolshaya Neva, two across the Malaya, three across the Bolshaya Nevka. This is done so that ships can pass along the river during navigation.

Divorced spans of bridges are one of the symbols of St. Petersburg. But it could have been completely different. According to legend, Peter I, having laid the foundation of a new capital, did not order the construction of crossings in the city, imagining that residents would move mainly by water. But this idea did not take root, and already 20 years after the founding of the city, there were 20 bridges in it. Many of them were divorced.

In the 18th century, bridges were mostly wooden - floating (the crossing consisted of several parts lying on special barges) or permanent on piles. They were built in the manner of the Dutch ones, the adjustable parts were raised by winches or levers.

Already in the second half of the 18th century, along with the construction of granite embankments, stone bridges began to be erected. The flood of 1824 broke many wooden bridges and gave impetus to the construction of metal ones.

In the 1920s, reinforced concrete structures appeared. The bridges of St. Petersburg were repeatedly rebuilt, their structure changed. So, Nikolaevsky (now Blagoveshchensky), Troitsky and Liteiny - the first permanent bridges of Petersburg - up to the 1960s were divorced in a completely different way, as we see it now: draw spans did not rise, but were set aside. The span of the bridge unfolded parallel to the embankment, and two fairways were obtained at once.

Today, the drawing of bridges is subject to a certain schedule, which is determined by the location of the bridge in relation to the Gulf of Finland. The first are ready to let the ships into the city Blagoveshchensky and Palace bridges. They get divorced at 1 hour 25 minutes, ten minutes after them Troitsky rises, another five minutes later - Foundry.

The Bolsheokhtinsky bridge opens at 2 o'clock and the youngest of St. Petersburg's drawbridges, the Volodarsky, is the last to rise.

Breeding bridges is also a show for tourists. The spectacle is in great demand. People go to the drawbridges to watch and take pictures. Even special excursions are organized.

Location: St. Petersburg, city bridges

The drawing of bridges is one of the favorite sights of tourists. Bridges are raised to allow vessels to pass along the Neva from the Baltic Sea to rivers in the European part of Russia and back. You can see the drawing of the bridges during the bus tour "Night Petersburg", or take a walk around the city on your own.

Where is the best place to watch Bridges in St. Petersburg

Usually they watch the drawing of bridges in the city center. The most "popular" bridge - Palace. As two wings rise parts of its central span. It is this bridge that is most often depicted on numerous posters (usually between its spans is the silhouette of the Peter and Paul Cathedral or the tower of the Kunstkamera). The Blagoveshchensky Bridge (Lieutenant Schmidt) and the Trinity Bridge (Kirovsky) located in the center of St. Petersburg also look very beautiful.

Bridges on the Neva are drawn up sequentially, with a small interval, in order to “fit” as much as possible to the movement of ships. First, at 1:10, the Palace Bridge is opened, at 1:20 - Trinity Bridge, at 1:40 Liteiny, and so on. Therefore, you are unlikely to be able to see the layout of several bridges in one night. This opportunity is promised by grandmothers advertising Bus tours, but this is far from always possible, because traffic jams, and tourist buses lots of.

If you decide to make independent walk Petersburg at night, I recommend coming to the center on one of the last metro trains. If you are not going to walk all night in the center, then pay attention to which side of the Neva you will stay after the bridges are raised. Please note that the bridges of the Malaya Neva are also being drawn up, so Vasilyevsky Island remains completely cut off from the city for some time. If your hotel is located on the left bank of the Neva, then the nearest metro to Palace Bridge- "Admiralty". If your hotel is on the Petrograd side, then the nearest metro station is Sportivnaya or Gorkovskaya.

How to get after the bridges to the hotel or apartment

Until recently, at night there was no way to get from one coast to another. But now this problem has been partially solved thanks to the launch of a night shuttle between the Sportivnaya and Admiralteyskaya stations. "Shuttle" runs only from April 30 to November 15 from 1:00 to 3:00 on weekends (nights from Friday to Saturday and from Saturday to Sunday). The interval of trains is 20 minutes. Payment is only possible with tokens. Please note that the Sportivnaya station has two exits - to the Petrograd side and Vasilyevsky Island.

In addition, on all days you can get from one coast to the other using the Obukhovsky cable-stayed bridge, which does not get divorced (the height of the central span is 32 meters). But this bridge is located on the outskirts of the city, so even if you have a car, getting through it is not always convenient.

Night buses replacing the metro run from April 30 to November 15 on weekends (Friday-Saturday nights and Saturday-Sunday nights) and public holidays. Night buses follow the same lines as metro lines, boarding and disembarking is carried out at the stops closest to the metro public transport. The bus number corresponds to the metro line and is supplemented with the letter A or B. Payment at the usual cost - a single ticket of 40 rubles, or with a Plantain card (2018). During the drawdown of bridges, buses run from / to the nearest metro station to the Neva.

What to do after the bridges are drawn

Go to a night club;
Leave the center on a ride or taxi. Cars standing on Angliyskaya, Palace embankments, near the Hermitage will take you to any point of the city on the left bank of the Neva for about 1000 rubles. But for safety and economy purposes, we recommend using legal taxis and dispatch services.

Bolsheokhtinsky bridge is also very beautiful at night, but it is located in the industrial area of St. Petersburg, at a considerable distance from metro stations. Therefore, you can get there only by car, or during a bus tour. By the way, if you are still going to bus tour Petersburg at night, I recommend getting enough sleep in advance. Do not hope that the beauty of St. Petersburg is stronger than a person's natural needs in the form of sleep. Often, even the most persistent tourists fall asleep by the end of the night tour of St. Petersburg.

A drawbridge is a bridge that is moved to provide passage for (usually) boats or barges. The advantage of building drawbridges is their lower cost due to the lack of high supports and long approaches. The main disadvantage is that traffic on the bridge is suspended when it opens to allow ships to pass under it.

1. Millennium Bridge in Gateshead (Gateshead Millennium Bridge), UK

The Millennium Bridge at Gateshead is a pedestrian and bicycle bridge that spans across the River Tyne, England. This bridge connects one side of the embankment, on which the Gateshead's Quays is located, with its other side, which is called the Quayside of Newcastle. In general, the bridge resembles two graceful arcs, one of which plays the role decks for the passage of pedestrians and cyclists, and the second arc is supporting.The arcs based on two platforms stretch in parallel from one embankment to another.

When it becomes necessary to let a ship pass, the entire bridge turns as a single solid structure. As the supporting arch descends, the deck-arc rises, balancing it. Thus, free space is formed for the passage of ships along the river.

The parabolic arcs of the deck measure a distance of 105 meters, but pedestrians and cyclists have to overcome 120 meters on the deck, as an additional bend of 15 meters is necessary to free up space for ships passing on the river. The unusual sight of a bridge in motion led to locals it is sometimes referred to as "The Winking Eye" because when viewed from the direction of the river, its shape resembles a winking eye. The bridge looks elegant both in a static position and in motion, but while it is moving, it is simply impossible not to admire this stunning spectacle of architectural art.

The bridge is driven by six hydraulic cylinders with a diameter of 45 centimeters, which are arranged symmetrically - three on each side. Each of them is powered by a 55 kW electric motor. Small ships and boats can sail under the bridge, the height of which does not exceed 25 meters above the water. The bridge makes a full 40° turn in about 4.5 minutes, depending on how fast the wind is blowing.

The construction of the bridge helped the architectural firm Wilkinson Eyre win the 2002 Stirling Prize from the Royal Institute of British Architects. In 2003, the bridge received the Gifford Institute of Structural Engineers' highest award (Gifford IStructE Supreme Award), and in 2005, the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE) awarded this firm an award for Outstanding Structure (Outstanding Structure Award) for the construction of the Millennium Bridge.

2. Slauerhoffbrug Bridge, Netherlands

The Slauerhof Bridge is a fully automatic drawbridge (also known as a tail bridge) located in the Dutch city of Leeuwarden. The bridge uses two lift arms to move a section of road from place to place right on the road itself.

It is also known as the "Slauerhof Flying Drawbridge". The drawbridge can be quickly and easily raised or lowered with a single support bracket (instead of hinges). This, in turn, allows ships to pass faster, only briefly delaying traffic on the road.

The deck size is 15 by 15 meters. It is painted in blue and yellow, that is, the colors representing the flag and sign of Leeuwarden. The Slauerhof Bridge was most likely named after Jan Jacob Slauerhoff (JJ Slauerhoff), a famous Dutch poet who lived in Leeuwarden.

The carrier bracket is located next to the bridge. The deck of the oblique bridge emphasizes the asymmetric shape. The carrier bracket has slots for the ballast block when the bridge is open.

The reliable support of the lifting paw is hidden in the moving section of the road. There are no cargo and transverse beams in the design. The lower part of the bridge deck is flat.

3. Jacques Chaban-Delmas Bridge (Pont Jacques Chaban-Delmas), France

The Pont Jacques Chabant-Delmas is a vertical drawbridge that spans over the Garonne River during French city Bordeaux (Bordeaux). It was inaugurated on March 16, 2013 by French President François Hollande and Bordeaux Mayor Alain Juppé. The length of the main span of the bridge is 110 meters.

The bridge has a height of approximately 50 meters and is raised about 120 times a year in order for large-capacity ships to pass under it, heading to the ports surrounding Bordeaux.

The drawbridge span has a symmetrical transverse bay that supports four traffic lanes - two vehicular roads and two pedestrian-bicycle roads.

As of 2013, this bridge is the longest vertical lift bridge in Europe. It was named after Jacques Chabant-Delmas, former French Prime Minister and former mayor of Bordeaux.

4. Vizcaya Bridge, Spain

The Biscay Bridge is a suspended cabin bridge that links the cities of Portugalete and Las Arenas, which is part of the municipality of Getxo in the Spanish province of Biscay. The Biscay Bridge crosses the mouth of the Ibaizabal River.

The local population and even the official website usually refer to the bridge as "Puente Colgante", which literally means "hanging bridge", although the design of this bridge is quite different from the suspension bridge.

The Biscay Bridge was built to connect the two banks, which are located at the mouth of the Ibaizabal River. It is the oldest suspended cabin bridge in the world. It was built in 1893 by Alberto Palacio, one of the students of Gustave Eiffel.

The bridge, still in operation, is 164 meters long and its cabin can carry six cars and dozens of passengers from one bank to the other in a minute and a half. During the daytime, the bridge cabin leaves every eight minutes (every hour at night), all year round. During the day and at night, the ferry fee is different. The bridge is part transport system Bilbao Metro Credittrans (Bilbao's Creditrans).

The design consists of four 61 meter towers, which are the basis of the bridge and are located on the banks of the river. Two new visitor lifts have been installed in the towers, allowing people to walk along the platform of the bridge, which overlooks the port and Abra Bay.

5. Women's Bridge (Puente de la Mujer), Argentina

"Puente de la Mujer" (translated from Spanish means "Women's Bridge") is a revolving pedestrian bridge located at Pier 3 in the commercial area of Buenos Aires called Puerto Madero in Argentina. This is a cable suspension bridge, as well as a drawbridge, but it has an unusual, slightly asymmetric structure.

There is only one lifting mechanism on the bridge, the cables of which support a part of the bridge that rotates 90 degrees in order to allow ships to pass through the bridge. When the bridge turns to allow ships to pass, the far end of the rotating platform is on a special support that balances the platform.

The footbridge is 170 meters long and weighs 800 tons. The width of the bridge is 6.2 meters and it is divided into three parts: two fixed parts 25 meters long and 32.5 meters long and the middle part, the length of which is 102.5 meters. The middle section of the bridge rotates on a white concrete pier, allowing ships to cross the bridge section in less than two minutes.

This central section is supported by a metal "needle" with a concrete core. The height of the "needle" is approximately 34 meters. The cables supporting the central part of the bridge are attached to a "needle" inclined at an angle of 39°. A computer system installed at the eastern end of the bridge activates the swivel mechanism when needed.

6. Drawbridge over the River Hull (River Hull Footbridge), UK

The Hull River Steel Swing Footbridge (also called the Scale Lane Bridge) is the world's first footbridge that rotates to open to traffic and close while pedestrians are on it. . The stunning prefabricated structure, designed by London-based McDowell+Benedetti, crosses the River Hull in Yorkshire and takes approximately two minutes to fully open or close. The bridge connects the city center (Hull) with its eastern part under construction, playing the role of both an important element of the city's infrastructure and a new city landmark.

The footbridge is approximately 16 meters in diameter and runs on several wheels that run on a circular track under the center of the bridge, allowing it to open and close depending on the intensity. river traffic.

It takes about two minutes to fully open or close, during which the bridge moves very slowly, at a speed that is below the speed of the London Eye. Pedestrians and cyclists can stay on it while it spins and enjoy river views from a whole new perspective.

Drawbridge over the River Hull at night

The lighting for the bridge was designed by Sutton Vane Associates, who placed energy-saving light bulbs to reflect on the water at night, giving the bridge the appearance of being contoured by a beam of light.
Small dots of light accentuate the shape of the bridge and appear as the bridge begins to turn. For a more impressive experience, lamps placed in niches turn on while the bridge is in motion, creating a unique light show.

7Horn Bridge, Germany

The Horn Bridge is a folding bridge located in the city of Kiel, in the Schleswig-Holstein region, Germany. The bridge spans the end of the Kiel Fjord (Kiel Fjord) called "Horn" (Hörn). It was developed by Gerkan, Marg and Partners. This is a movable retractable-opening bridge, consisting of three segments. The length of its main part is 25.5 meters and folds into the shape of the Latin letter "N". The bridge was completed in 1997 at a cost of $10,501,224.

The width of the bridge "Horn" is five meters. It connects the city center to west bank Horn (Hörn) with the quarter Gaarden (Gaarden) on east coast. This footbridge is especially important for passengers as it connects the Norwegian Ferry Terminal (Norwegenkai) with the central railway station.

Many residents of the city of Kiel were initially skeptical of the design of the bridge. At first, malfunctions constantly occurred in the operation of the mechanism, hence the bridge got its unofficial nickname "non-folding bridge" (Klappt-Nix-Brücke). In order to ensure the crossing of the road for pedestrians and cyclists, a hydraulically operated retractable bridge was built right next to the Horn Bridge as an intermediate solution. It is still in use during renovations and Maintenance folding bridge. The Horn Bridge is now considered a masterpiece of engineering and has even become a tourist attraction.

The bridge usually opens once an hour, allowing small and medium-sized ships to sail in and out of the bay. The bridge offers some of the best panoramic views of the city of Kiel. It is also the beginning and end of the scenic route: tourist route from Bremervörde to Kieler Förde. The route passes through approximately 50 different ferries, bridges, shipping locks, tide barriers and maritime museums, as well as bridge ferries in Rendsburg and Osten.

8. Foryd Harbor Bridge, UK

The Foryd Harbor Cycle and Pedestrian Bridge is located in Rhyl, a coastal resort town and community located in Denbighshire, on the northeast coast of Wales, UK. The lift wing of the bridge is part of an impressive structure, and when raised provides unhindered access to the shipping channel. To maintain balance, the second wing of the bridge also rises. Thus, both wings of the bridge are mirror images of each other.

The steel double mast rises almost 50 meters above the water. It contains a lifting block and lifting ropes extending from it. The mast is a visual confirmation of the presence of the bridge, which is visible for many kilometers. She is also the main attraction in the harbor.

The mast is supported by a rigging system similar to that seen on many boats. In order for the mast, located in the center, to harmoniously fit into the structure, each of the arms of the bridge bifurcates at its middle and provides pedestrians with a three-meter-wide passage.

9. Submersible Bridges at Corinth Canal, Greece

Flooded bridge at the eastern end of the Corinth Canal

The Corinth Canal in Greece cuts through the narrow Isthmus of Corinth and separates the Peloponnesian peninsula from the Greek mainland, connecting the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea.

Built between 1881 and 1893, the Corinth Canal was considered a major technical achievement of the time. Although the canal eliminates the 700-kilometer trip around the Peloponnese peninsula, it is too narrow for modern ocean-going cargo ships, since it can only accept ships that do not exceed 16.5 meters in width and 7.3 meters in draft.

A boat sails over a flooded bridge at the eastern end of the Corinth Canal.

Vessels can pass through the canal only one at a time and on a one-way system. Large ships have to be hauled in towing boats. Today, the channel is mainly used by tourist ships. About 11,000 vessels use the canal annually.

In 1988, two floodable bridges were built along the edges of the Corinth Canal, one in the Isthmus of Corinth and one in Corinth. The deck of the floodable bridge is lowered eight meters underwater to allow ships to use the waterway.

The main advantage of lowering part of the bridge instead of raising it above the level of the bridge itself is that in this way there is no height restriction above the navigation channel and, therefore, ships of any height can pass through the channel unhindered. This is especially true for sailing ships. In addition, the lack of overhanging structure is considered aesthetically pleasing. However, the presence of part of the floodable bridge under water limits ships in terms of draft.

10. El Ferdan Railway Bridge, Egypt

The El Ferdan Railway Swing Bridge, also known as the Al Firdan Bridge, spans the Suez Canal near the city of Ismailia in the northeastern region of Egypt.

Bridge connects mainland Egypt since Sinai Peninsula(Sinai Peninsula). The length of the bridge is 335 meters. It is the longest drawbridge in the world. Both sides of the structure rotate on supports when the bridge is opened or closed, and thanks to a pair of electric rotary actuators, the bridge takes a total of 30 minutes to fully open.

Unlike the other bridges on this list, the El Ferdan Railway Swing Bridge remains open to traffic on the canal, and only closes to allow trains to cross the canal. The bridge was designed and built by a consortium of Belgian, German and Egyptian architects. The bridge was completed in 2001. The bridge cost $80 million. The bridge was officially opened on November 14, 2001.

Bonus 1: Barton Swing Aqueduct, UK

The Barton Swing Aqueduct is a navigable swing aqueduct located in the Barton upon Irwell area of Greater Manchester, England. The aqueduct carries water from the Bridgewater Canal through the Manchester Ship Canal.

Rotary aqueduct at Barton in closed position.

The pivoting motion of the aqueduct allows large vessels using the canal to sea vessels, sail under the aqueduct, and smaller, narrow boats cross the channel along the aqueduct itself.

Rotary aqueduct at Barton in open position.

This first and only turning aqueduct in the world is considered one of the most significant civil engineering feats of the Victorian era. Designed by Sir Edward Leader Williams and built by Andrew Handyside of Derby, the turning aqueduct opened in 1894 and is still in use today.

The aqueduct is a kind of swing bridge. When closed, it allows small boats to pass through the Bridgewater Canal. When large ships need to navigate through the canal for ships located under the aqueduct, a 1450-ton and 100-meter iron chute rotates 90 degrees on an axial rod installed on a specially built island for this purpose.

Locks at each end of the gutter hold about 800 tons of water. Additional gates on each bank keep water in the canal sections adjacent to them. Originally, the aqueduct also had a built-in path that ran along its entire length, about 2.7 meters above the water level of the Bridgewater Canal. Today, this path has been removed.

Bonus 2: Tank bridge layer M60A1 (M60A1 Armored Vehicle Launched Bridge)

The M60A1 tank bridge layer (an engineering vehicle in service with the US Army) was designed to install and remove an 18 meter bridge. The M60A1 is used during combat operations, and is essentially a foldable mobile bridge mounted on a tank chassis. Two people are required to operate the machine, which is driven by a 750 horsepower diesel engine. The weight of the bridge and tank chassis is 58 tons.

The mobile bridge can withstand the passage of the Abrams tank at reduced speeds. The M60A1 tank bridgelayer entered service with the US Marine Corps in the late 1980s. On the this moment, it is planned that the M60A1 will continue to be used until 2015. Subsequently, the M104 WOLVERINE engineering vehicle will replace the M60A1.

The M60A1 tank bridgelayer is an armored engineering vehicle used to install and remove a folding bridge (it is also called "scissors"). M60A1 consists of three main parts: body, bridge and launcher. The launch module is built into the tank chassis. The bridge in the deployed state is capable of providing passage through it for tracked and wheeled vehicles that do not exceed the carrying capacity of class 60 according to NATO classification.

The bridge can be removed from either end. The width of its passage is 3.8 meters. The installation of the bridge takes from two to five minutes, the removal of about 10 minutes, and most often takes place under the cover of other armored vehicles. When deployed, the bridge covers a distance of 18.3 meters and can withstand a load of 70 tons. The tank bridge layer allows 70-ton vehicles to travel 15 meters, the 60-class lifting equipment travels all 18 meters.

Masha photomanya , Sergey periscope and Ilya gold_lion . The whole team has already managed to make colorful and very informative posts, only I was left, who flew away, almost immediately after the shooting, to rest in Europe.

Before starting to write something, I thought, in what way should I do it? Mass blog tours are, of course, good, on the one hand, but on the other hand, the posts of the participants in such tours often look alike, like Siamese twins. You read two informatively similar reports and read the rest on the same topic already discourages any desire. The other side of the issue is the technical component. It's one thing to read about travel, it's another thing to try to understand all sorts of complex technical features of the described engineering object, etc.

Considering that my blog has its own theme and, accordingly, a special contingent of readers, I decided to write about the Troitsky Bridge in the simplest and most understandable language, as I described, at one time, the features of the design and operation of the Leningrad NPP. If someone wants to see the maximum technical overview of the Trinity Bridge, as well as get acquainted with its rather difficult history, do not be lazy - go to the blogs of the other members of our team listed above, and Wikipedia and other information resources are always there to help you.

02. Trinity Bridge - the third oldest among the bridges of St. Petersburg.

I will slightly duplicate my paragraph from the announcement of the event. What is included in the mandatory plans of any person who has visited St. Petersburg for the first time, except for walking through the streets and parks of the city, visiting museums and visiting various architectural sights? Of course, this is an acquaintance with the famous St. Petersburg bridges! In any season, in any weather, the drawing of bridges gathers hundreds of people who are fascinated by this impressive spectacle. Looking at how a multi-ton span of the bridge rises, few people think, but how is this even possible? Frankly, I rarely thought about it myself, but it's very, very interesting!

Once upon a time, many years ago, I first came to St. Petersburg and drew for myself on the map the first introductory city route, which included the Trinity Bridge. The route started from the metro station "Gorkovskaya", captured Peter and Paul Fortress, Aurora, and along the Trinity Bridge went to Palace embankment towards the square of the same name…

I decided to continue my acquaintance with the bridge, as before, from the walls of the Peter and Paul Fortress, arriving at my favorite point at half past ten in the evening. Cloudy rainy weather, which has firmly settled in St. Petersburg these days, made the view of the bridge somehow gray and not very expressive. I decided to wait for the city lights to turn on, which was only half an hour away.

04. View of the Peter and Paul Fortress.

With the inclusion of lanterns and illumination of the facades of buildings, the view of the bridge has changed. He played brightly with warm lights, cheerfully reflected on the restless surface of the Neva. And here I was unspeakably lucky. While I was filming the views, additional white illumination flashed on the entire surface of the bridge, making the view of the bridge completely amazing! This light show continued, alas, not for long, only 10 minutes, or even less, and did not repeat again. Unfortunately, I forgot to ask the representatives about this beauty St. Petersburg GBU "Mostotrest" why such illumination turns on only at 23:00 and for such a short time.

05. Full illumination of the bridge.

Having taken plenty of views, I went across the bridge to the opposite side of the Neva, where I was supposed to meet with the rest of the team and representatives of Mostotrest. By the way, it is from the Trinity Bridge that one of the most beautiful views to the Peter and Paul Fortress, Neva, Winter Palace, Vasilyevsky Island, as well as to neighboring bridges: Palace, Liteiny, Birzhevoy and others. Almost like in Amsterdam.

Let's go over the history of the Trinity Bridge a little. This is one of oldest bridges Petersburg and the first pontoon crossing at this place appeared in 1803, the year in honor of the 100th anniversary of the city. The bridge was named Petersburg. This bridge regularly served people for 20 years, until, in 1824, it was decided not to modernize it. The bridge was first named Trinity, along the adjacent square of the same name. And now, after another 73 years, the bridge is being rebuilt for the third time. The laying of a permanent bridge, moreover, a drawbridge, took place on August 12, 1897, with the participation of the Russian Emperor Nicholas II and the President of the French Republic, Felix Faure. This event had a political connotation and was aimed at improving relations between the two countries. The bridge was solemnly opened on the 200th anniversary of the city, on May 16, 1903, and Emperor Nicholas II became the first person to start the electric motors for the first time, reviving the bridge's unique adjustable mechanics.

By the way, during these years the bridge was not drawn vertically, but horizontally, turning around its axis and thus forming passages for ships. Here I also want to add that the main railway bridge of our Kaliningrad, initially (still in the German Königsberg), had the same swivel system.

And fifteen years later, in 1918, the bridge was renamed again. First to the bridge Equality, and after the death of the revolutionary S. M. Kirov, in 1934, in Kirovsky bridge. And yet, the bridge again became Troitsky but only in 1991. In subsequent years, the bridge was repeatedly reconstructed: the entire draw system was updated, the road surface was replaced, and electrical networks were replaced. The last major reconstruction was completed on May 29, 2003, to celebrate the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg.

Meanwhile, our blogging landing was met by the project coordinator - Irina Strizhenaya and Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Trinity Bridge - Shishov Evgeniy Gennadievich. We had to descend into the heart of the bridge, located in one of the abutments. This could only be done through a special hatch, which is under constant surveillance and heavily guarded. After all, the bridge is a strategic engineering facility.

08. Sergey periscope bravely descends into the bowels of the Trinity Bridge.

Having descended to the first level, we find ourselves in a narrow room - this is the so-called Operator Room, one might say - the brain of the Trinity Bridge. It is from here that the launch of the wiring and laying of the bridge, as well as all lighting and signaling equipment, is controlled, dozens of smart sensors, surveillance cameras are monitored, constant radio communication is maintained with ships passing along the Neva, etc.

The bridge is operated by a team of eight people. AT certain time, a few minutes before the wiring, warning lights are turned on, Eugene coordinates the work of the rest of the team on the radio, which promptly blocks the bridge from both sides with special barriers and makes sure that no one gets through them. According to Yevgeny, who has worked on the bridge for 20 years, the main troubles arise during the days of various city holidays, when tipsy young people try to climb over the fences.

And only after all the team members report on the preparatory work done, Eugene presses the treasured button, and the wing of the bridge rapidly begins to rise. Why is it fast? And all because it takes only 6 (!) Minutes to lift a structure weighing 750 tons into the air. During this time, the bridge wing rises at an angle of 70 degrees (the maximum allowable angle is 72 degrees).

14. Shishov Evgeny Gennadievich.

This speed is provided by powerful hydraulic systems that have replaced mechanical ones. To see them with our own eyes, we go even deeper - to the second level of the room, where you can see the hydraulic drive cylinder. There are four of them in total.

16. Hydraulic drive cylinder.

17. From left to right: Eugene, Irina, Ildar, Ilya, Masha, Alexei.

The heart of the bridge is in the engine room, which houses powerful compression motors and oil pumps that power the hydraulic cylinders. When oil is supplied to the upper cavity of the cylinder, the necessary thrust is provided and the pistons lift the wing up.

In order to ensure the operability of the bridge in any emergency, the systems are duplicated and only a pair of engines operate in normal mode, and the second pair is a reserve one. Sometimes there is some minor damage. In this case, there is a full-fledged workshop equipped with all the necessary tools.

23. Workshop.

While we are exploring the interior, Eugene continues to talk about the main technical specifications Trinity bridge. Its length is 578 m, width is 23.6 m, total weight is 11242 tons, and the span is 43 m.

25. Standby pump control panel.

But how is such a multi-ton colossus held? It turns out that under the movable wing of the bridge there is a huge concrete counterweight, the mass of which is much larger than the wing itself and amounts to 1450 tons.

28. Counterweight of the bridge wing.

When drawing the bridge, the counterweight is lowered into a special pit, called the "counterweight well". So that the raised wing, in the event of a system failure, does not collapse down, it is additionally fixed by huge special locking pins hidden in technological niches.

29. Counterweight well

30. He is from a different angle. The circle in the photo on the left is a locking pin in a niche.

By the way, one of the main reasons why it is strictly forbidden to approach a raised bridge is a gap at the junction of spans. It is quite wide and leads straight into the counterweight well. Having fallen there, a person, quite simply, will be smeared by the counterweight of the bridge. Here are some horror stories...

31. Ildar 2dar photographs the night Neva.

In the meantime, we go out to the so-called gallery from the inside of the bridge, from which it is convenient to observe the navigation of ships. On this day, 14 ships were registered, 7 in each direction. – " Previously, there were up to 30 or more ships", shares his memories Eugene.

33. Light bulbs of the light illumination of the bridge are clearly visible.

Answering a question about various incidents, Evgeny said that in the history of the bridge there were also collisions of ships with supports. The bridge was not damaged, but the ships received serious damage. I also learned why bridges do not open in stormy weather. It turns out that despite all the reliability, a strong wind can give a serious load that the wings simply cannot withstand.

And, of course, I express my deep gratitude to the company St. Petersburg State Budgetary Institution "Mostotrest" and the "Community of St. Petersburg bloggers" for the invitation, as well as the taxi service "Taksovichkof" for the fast and high-quality delivery of a tired blogger carcass to the house.

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