Description of the attraction
One of the main symbols of modern Saratov is Europe's largest road bridge across the Volga River, connecting the cities of Saratov and Engels. When the bridge was put into operation in 1965, it was the longest in Europe, its length was 2803.7 meters.
In March 1958, the road bridge project was approved and recognized as one of the most unique in the world of bridge construction. VM Iodzevich designed and implemented his creation according to the latest engineering techniques of that time. The experimental bridge was almost entirely constructed from reinforced concrete elements, which included 39 bridge supports. At that time, he had to provide the passage of four lanes of vehicles and two sidewalks for pedestrians (today there are five lanes on the bridge). The length of the navigable superstructures to this day exceeds 160 meters. The bridge became the longest in Europe and the Soviet Union. According to an estimate, the cost of a large-scale new building was 266 million rubles.
The bridge visually looks "humpbacked", as in different sections it is not the same in height. Spans adjacent to Saratov are provided for steamers and high-dimensional vessels, where the bridge becomes higher and the distance between the supports is wider. And further, closer to the Engelskaya side, a smooth decrease in height, descent to Pokrovsky Island located almost in the middle of the bridge, which was artificially reclaimed after the completion of construction specifically to create a beach recreation area (in our time - a city beach).
At the final stage of construction, in the immediate vicinity, the shooting of the 1965 feature film "The Bridge Is Under Construction" took place. Favorite actors of that time took part in the filming of the film, such as: Oleg Dal, Oleg Efremov, Lyudmila Gurchenko, Oleg Tabakov and ordinary residents of Saratov.
The first tests of the bridge began on June 13, 1965. Each span was tested for strength under the weight of loaded trucks. To test the strength of the longest bird spans, 250 units of loaded equipment were used simultaneously.
On July 10, 1965, the State Commission accepted the bridge into operation, and on July 11, a festive procession took place, dedicated to the opening of a grandiose structure in the world of bridge construction. A procession of many thousands, consisting of residents of two cities who were moving to meet each other and, having met in the middle of the Saratov-Engels bridge, shook hands.
In 2011, the Saratov-Engels bridge was included in the top list of “20 popular architectural and historical sights” in the competition “Wonders of the Volga Region - with Your Own Eyes”.
Description added:
Sosnovtsev Alexander Georgievich 20.11.2016
According to the project, the bridge "… was supposed to provide the passage of four lanes of vehicles and two sidewalks for pedestrians (today there are five lanes on the bridge)."
1. Correction: there are currently three lanes on the bridge.
2. People say that the money saved on the construction of the fourth
Show full text According to the project, the bridge "… was supposed to provide the passage of four lanes of vehicles and two sidewalks for pedestrians (today there are five lanes on the bridge)".
1. Correction: there are currently three lanes on the bridge.
2. People say that with the money saved on the construction of the fourth strip of the bridge, the head of the region, AIShibaev, rebuilt the embankment of Saratov.
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