Projects
Government Bodies
Flag Thursday, 28 March 2024
All news
All news
President
27 April 2018, 17:07

Lukashenko examines Pripyat River bridge reconstruction progress in Gomel Oblast

ZHITKOVICHI DISTRICT, 27 April (BelTA) – Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko was made familiar with progress in reconstructing a faulty automobile bridge over the Pripyat River in Zhitkovichi District, Gomel Oblast on 27 April, BelTA has learned.

“Since the bridge is so important, then we need a good one. We should spare no expense for the bridge project. If we try to spare a million or two, we will get either a narrow bridge or some other imperfection… This is why a solid bridge has to be constructed. And a sufficiently broad one at that,” said the head of state.

Alexander Lukashenko was informed how vehicles and pedestrians can cross the river now. In particular, a ferry is used to carry heavy vehicles weighing over 20 tonnes. Other vehicles use the pontoon bridge. Over 50,000 vehicles have used the bridge so far.

The head of state was told in detail about the project to reconstruct the bridge and how explosives will be used to demolish the central faulty span of the bridge.

While the standing bridge is made of reinforced concrete, the new bridge span will be made of metal by Voronezhstalmost, one of Russia's most prominent bridge construction companies. In addition to offering a reliable and strong structure the solution will reduce the overall weight of the bridge by several times. The new metallic bridge span is supposed to be installed in July 2018.

The president was informed that the preliminary cost of the project to reconstruct the bridge is close to Br44 million.

The head of state was told that apart from the faulty bridge over the Pripyat River in Zhitkovichi District there are also four identical bridges and some 20 bridges of similar designs in Belarus. Many of them require maintenance or reconstruction. The organization of the relevant work with future in mind was mentioned. Alexander Lukashenko was informed that a private company in Mogilev Oblast is capable of making the necessary metal structures. “If we can do it, you should take a look, get together with specialists and designers, calculate prices, and make them domestically. Since there are 20, then we need 20 [bridges]. And we should decide which ones first,” noted the Belarusian head of state.

Specialists believe that as the bridges are reconstructed, it is necessary to keep their current look first and foremost while ensuring safe operation and an adequate life span. Reinforced concrete structures will be replaced with metal ones only where it is truly necessary.

“We have agreed that we need this bridge [in Zhitkovichi District] ready by Great October Revolution Day. A gift to the people. Just the way we do things. All the work must be completed. As for the future, I would like you to examine the other similar bridges and make proposals on the sequence of their replacement or reconstruction,” summed up the president. “The bridge in Gomel is the next one. I want that factory to start making a bridge for Gomel,” added Alexander Lukashenko.

Apart from that, the development of Belarus' transport and transit potential was also discussed during the working trip as well as the continued construction and reconstruction of motorways, the financing of these projects, including using external sources. The construction of the second runway in the Minsk National Airport was also mentioned. The head of state was assured that all the operations for building and equipping the runway will be finished by 7 November 2018. Attention was drawn to the growing passenger traffic the airport has to handle. The construction of new terminals may be in order in the future.

Subscribe to us
Twitter
Recent news from Belarus