Italian Bridge

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The bridge was built in 1896 in the place of a boat ferry as a single span wooden bridge which connected Bolshaya and Malaya Italyanskaya Streets. Railway engineer Leonid N. Kolpitsyn proposed building a bridge across the canal, but as the city authorities declined to endorse the project, he built it at his own expense.^[1] The novelty at the time was use of xilolit plates as a paving material.^[1] The bridge opened to pedestrians on 6 October 1896, at a cost of 3,500 rubles.^[1] The city authorities expressed gratitude, but refused to reimburse the construction costs, and also rejected his proposal of introducing a toll of 1 kopeck per person. Kolpitsyn ultimately donated the bridge to the city.^[1]

In 1902 the bridge was rebuilt for the first time, the xylolite slabs replaced with plank decking, overseen by Karl Baldi [ru].^[1] In 1911-1912 it was rebuilt again, with the trusses replaced with a timber strut structure, under the supervision of engineer K. V. Yefimyev. In 1912, the trusses were replaced with a timber strut structure. In 1937, it was rebuilt as a pedestrian heat-conducting bridge with two thermal pipes, and rebuilt in 1955 with a steel beam superstructure with elaborate decorations. In 1996, the "Venetian" lanterns and railing were restored.^[2] The bridge has the status of an object of regional significance on the Russian cultural heritage register.^[3][4]

59°56′14″N 30°19′37″E / 59.9373°N 30.327°E / 59.9373; 30.327

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