The underpass at the intersection of Moskovsky Avenue with Tereshkova Street and P. Brovka in Vitebsk, where reconstruction works are actively underway, is planned to be equipped with four electric lifts for people with disabilities. This will be the first such facility in the regional center.

Dismantling works at the site began at the end of December last year. The cladding material has been removed from the gallery of the underpass along the entire perimeter, and the old asphalt has been removed. Now, specialists are working on the electrical system and preparing the surfaces for plastering.

The project includes internal waterproofing. The entrances to the underpass will be designed as stairs with heat-resistant concrete coating, the walls will be made of granite cladding, and the canopies will be made of prefabricated metal structures. The transformed tunnel under

one of the busiest transport arteries of the northern capital will be equipped with 16 video surveillance cameras, which will help ensure the safety of citizens. Moreover, the design of the facility will duplicate the one existing on Victory Square.

– Work in the underpass does not stop even at night. A hydraulic hammer is constantly in use – it knocks down old concrete bases, and dump trucks and loaders remove secondary raw materials, – says foreman Nikolai Yashin. – In general, 4 teams are involved in the reconstruction; 32 people work in the first shift, and 12 in the second.

The major overhaul has affected surface traffic. Additional traffic lights have been temporarily installed here, and wooden walkways have been made. Tram stops have also been adjusted.

10 billion rubles have been allocated from the city budget for the reconstruction. It is planned that traffic in the updated underpass will resume in July this year, when the facility is ready for operation. The general contractor is OOO "PlissaStroy", the customer is DKP "Vitebsk City Capital Construction Department".

In the thirty years of its existence, the underpass had only undergone cosmetic repairs. Potholes and cavities that appeared over time increasingly discouraged pedestrians from using it. Calls from residents of the regional center to the city executive committee regarding the modernization of the structure were received repeatedly.

– The crossing is part of the project developed by UP "Vitebskgrazhdanproekt" – "Engineering and Transport Infrastructure of the Bilevo Residential Area. Reconstruction of Moskovsky Prospekt" (1st construction phase). In addition, it includes the installation of poles for the contact network. The second part provides for the construction of a trolleybus network that will extend to the ring road, as well as the allocation of a traction substation, – noted Sergey Polsky, Chief Engineer of DKUP "Vitebsk City Capital Construction Department", adding that the project will also involve widening the roadway to three lanes in the direction of the zoo.

Traffic jams at the intersection of Moskovsky Prospekt with Tereshkova and P. Brovki streets have become common for the city. Every morning, one can observe a picture here: overloaded buses, cars... To avoid traffic congestion, an additional lane has been created for the convenience of the residents of the Bilevo microdistrict. This increases throughput and significantly relieves traffic flow.

However, the problem of entering the city from the direction of Bilevo cannot be solved solely by reconstructing Moskovsky Prospekt. Today, all transport heading under the railway overpass from Korotkevich Street turns left, heading towards Stroiteley Prospekt, and from there – to Luchesa, Markovshchina and further. Therefore, the following will also be re-equipped

intersection of Stroiteley Avenue and P. Brovki Street, from where a transport artery will run to Bilevo. The project includes the reconstruction of the intersection from Starobabinichi Highway, Generala Ivanovskogo and Korotkevicha streets.

– Residents of the garage cooperative whose structures were in the reconstruction zone have already been resettled. Part of the sewage, electrical, and low-current networks have been relocated, and a bore under P. Brovki Street has been made to relocate gas supply networks, and the water pipeline has been re-laid in the area of the veterinary station. The transformation of the main roads is complicated by the need to pass under two railway tracks. More than a third of the road surface has been completed from Starobabinichi Highway. To complete what has been started, additional funds are needed, – emphasized Sergey Vladimirovich.

Another step towards transformation will be the "unfreezing" of the underpass at the intersection of Stroiteley Avenue and P. Brovki Street. Attempts to give it a second life have been made repeatedly, but unsuccessfully. If funding is available, it is planned to revive one of Vitebsk's oldest long-term construction projects within this year.

Olga BULAVKA. Photos by Dmitry OSIPOV. "Vitebskiye vesti".