Preobrazhensky Bridge
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Preobrazhensky Bridge Мости Преображенського | |
|---|---|
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| Coordinates | 47°30′15″N 35°03′00″E / 47.5042°N 35.0500°E |
| Carries | Automobiles and Railway |
| Crosses | Dnieper River |
| Locale | Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Arched Bridge |
| Material | Concrete |
| Total length | 560 metres (1,840 ft) and 228 metres (748 ft) |
| Width | 15 metres (49 ft) |
| Height | 54 metres (177 ft) |
| Clearance below | 54 metres (177 ft) |
| No. of lanes | 2 |
| History | |
| Engineering design by | Borys Preobrazhenskyi |
| Constructed by | Ukrainian SSR |
| Construction start | 1949 |
| Opened | December 31, 1952 |
| Location | |
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The Preobrazhensky Bridge is a two bridge crossing over the Dnipro River in the city of Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine. Construction on the bridges began in the spring of 1949 and was completed in 1952. The official opening took place on December 31, 1952.[1] Due to the lack of high-tech steel in the early post-war years, the bridges were built from reinforced concrete. The bridges are named after the engineer Borys Preobrazhenskyi. The railway and highway which run over the bridge connect the Khortytskyi District with the Zaporizhzhia city center.[2]
On January 3, 1944, construction of temporary post-war bridges began in Zaporizhzhia. Shortly after the expulsion of the Germans from the territory of Khortytsia and the right bank, construction of temporary bridge crossings began which allowed for railway service between Zaporizhzhia and Nikopol while permanent bridges were constructed.
Embankments were built on the left and right banks and on the island of Khortytsia to facilitate the construction of both temporary and permanent bridges. During this time, 14 km of railway track was laid, and temporary bridges with a total length of 1,886 meters were built across both channels of the Dnieper. Before the start of construction, 10,000 mines laid on Khortytsia were defused by sappers.
Construction of the permanent embankment on Khortytsia Island was conducted manually. The southern part of the dam was connected to a wooden bridge across the flood channels and the Dnipro, the length of this bridge was 1,330 meters. More than 1,500 piles alone were driven to support the wooden bridge. The supports of the temporary bridge were made of sleepers and logs impregnated with a special composition. Wooden trusses were attached to them, a floor made of beams was laid on top and railway tracks were laid. The second bridge, which connected the western part of the embankment on Khortytsia Island with the right bank, was 556 meters long and was built in just 12 days. The construction of the bridges over the Dnieper was completed on February 20, 1944, and on February 23, 1944, the first train crossed both bridges thus restoring connection between the east and west banks of the Dnieper.
These temporary bridges served Zaporizhzhia for almost 9 years. They were dismantled in December 1952 upon the completion and opening of the new Preobrazhensky Bridge.[3]
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