How is the construction of the "Polotsk" overpass in Vitebsk progressing? Report from the construction site
The project financing is quite stable, so it is expected that the main scope of work will be completed twice as fast as the initial deadlines, and by the end of next year, the new overpass may welcome the first transport. Indeed, a lot has been done in 4 months since the closure of this facility, which is important for the northern capital, as the correspondents of vitvesti.by personally verified.
In the headquarters carriage in the middle of the large construction site are the heads of various departments involved in the reconstruction. They are full of terms, figures, share information, and discuss emerging problems.
Such "operational meetings" are held here almost every day, but twice a week in an expanded format – with the participation of the customer of the works, represented by the First Deputy General Director of the Capital Construction Directorate of the Regional Executive Committee, Veniamin Barsuk.
At the time of our visit, the head of the Vitebsk branch of Belarusian Railways, Alexey Bulkin, was also present. The fact is that the reconstruction is approaching the most critical stage – in April, it is planned to begin dismantling the old structure, which passes over the railway.
It is necessary to calculate the time with minute precision to divert trains while powerful cranes on railway platforms dismantle 30-ton concrete spans, some of which are up to 14 meters long. Not all equipment can handle this! This will require restricting railway traffic for 7-8 hours more than once. If it weren't for the busy traffic, the builders would have finished in a week, but as it is, it will take at least a month.
– The construction is multifaceted, – notes Veniamin Barsuk. – To avoid losing time, construction work is being carried out in parallel on various sections, with approximately 70 specialists and 15-18 units of equipment constantly involved at the site. There are difficulties due to the rearrangement of utilities, and there are many of them here. We are relocating 2.5 kilometers of communication lines alone. Another 250-270 meters need to be laid. The gas pipeline is a separate issue. It will be laid under the railway tracks at a depth of 4.5 meters using horizontal directional drilling. After the dismantling of the old, "overhead" overpass, reconnection will occur.
The two construction phases originally planned for 2010 have now been combined into one project.
To reduce costs, the entrances and exits of the turning loop from the direction of Kosmonavtov Street are being optimized to avoid demolishing a number of buildings belonging to the grain processing plant and the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Regional Executive Committee.
The overpass will reach a width of 45 meters, and together with the ascent and descent, its length will be over 400 meters.
Access to and from it will be via "butterfly" interchanges, and an underground pedestrian crossing will appear from the direction of Kosmonavtov Street. Tram traffic will resume on Titova Street, and an additional traction substation will be built.
– Under favorable circumstances, we plan to spend about 40 million rubles this year, and the estimated cost of the facility at current prices is around 115 million, – explains Veniamin Barsuk. – Funds are being allocated from the republican and regional budgets, and work is underway to open a credit line of 50 million rubles from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. All this will allow us to fully complete the reconstruction of the overpass from the direction of Kosmonavtov Street, build supports and the foundation of the bridge over the railway in 2019.
Accompanied by Mikhail Kazurov, Head of the Technical Supervision Department of the State Enterprise "UKS of the Regional Executive Committee", we embark on a tour of the construction site. Brigades are working on several sites: a new gas pipeline is being laid in the area of Titov Street, an old bridge structure over the railway is being dismantled, but most importantly, foundations are being laid for the supports of the new structure.
Specialists from the Vitebsk branch of MSU No. 5, as well as the Grodno branch of MSU No. 7, are involved in the work – these are structural divisions of OJSC "Mostostroy".
Currently, the main load is on concrete workers, welders, and reinforcement workers who are constructing the foundation for the intermediate bridge supports. Each such support rests on a "cluster" of eight piles, with a driving depth of 10 m. Each pile requires about 10 cubic meters of concrete and hundreds of meters of 2-3 cm reinforcement.
A total of 45 intermediate supports are to be erected, which will hold the bridge. 7 are currently completed.
– Everything takes time, – says Mikhail Kazurov. – Concrete gains its design strength within 28 days, but according to the technological charts, we can apply loads to it after it reaches 70% strength. To work in freezing temperatures, special additives are introduced, and electrical heating of the structures is also used.
According to Mikhail Yuryevich, the supports erected in 2012 and 2013 were recently inspected and found to be suitable for further use.
We ascend to the old overpass. The foundation of huge boulders has been exposed at its base.
– The old structure has served its purpose, – says Mikhail Kazurov, pointing to the exposed reinforcement in the concrete supports of the dismantled structure. – Further operation was no longer possible due to the dynamic loads on the overpass itself and under it from the movement of railway trains.
We climb up using a temporary wooden deck. It's high! And the new bridge will be even higher, up to 10 meters, as the railway electrification is planned for this section.
Work is also in full swing at the top: to speed up the dismantling of the old overpass and reduce the number of train traffic "windows," the builders are dismantling the deck beams. Huge "drills" with diamond-coated bits are breaking through their connection points, and then entire spans are cut into sections using rope cutting. They are removed in stages and loaded down.
Working alongside the builders is a representative from Vitebsk station with a radio. As soon as a train approaches, all work on the overpass stops. Safety is paramount.
From above, it is clearly visible how an excavator is methodically digging the ground for a new gas pipeline at the beginning of Titova Street.
During the reconstruction of the overpass, 406 trees will be cut down. There is a corresponding decision from the Vitebsk City Executive Committee.
Environmentalists have received significant compensation payments for planting new trees.
Already in the second half of the year, most likely, the construction of the bridge supports will begin from the Titova Street side, near the Polotsk market. According to a representative of the Regional Executive Committee's Construction Department, the construction will not affect the operation of this popular shopping facility.
We leave "Construction Site No. 1" with the confidence that the builders will definitely cope with the task, provided there is funding.