Entered the top twenty largest – a new bridge appeared on the Volga highway
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Entered the top twenty largest – a new bridge appeared on the Volga highway

A new crossing over the Sura River has opened on the M-7 highway. The construction is part of a large national program called "Safe and High-Quality Roads." The automobile bridge will connect the Urals with the western regions of the country.


The main goal of the project was to create an alternative to the outdated crossing, built in the early 60s of the last century. The latter was long considered a symbol of the engineering thought of its time.

The previous bridge no longer met current safety requirements and had to be taken out of service. A new crossing was built 200 meters downstream.

Entered the top twenty largest – a new bridge appeared on the Volga highwayThis is what the previous bridge over the Sura River looked like. Photo: YouTube.com

The length of the structure exceeded 5 km, including overpasses and approaches. The length of the bridge itself was 2,4 km. This means that it entered the top twenty largest in Russia.

The main characteristics and dimensions of the crossing are as follows:

✅ channel part – 450 m
✅ Number of traffic lanes – 2
✅ car lane – 3,75 m
✅ safety zone – 2 m on both sides
✅ shipping span – 150 m

The bridge section includes 65 supports located in the riverbed. The span structure is made of metal structures, the total weight of which is 3,5 tons. The overpass parts of the structure are made of precast reinforced concrete.

Classic asphalt concrete is used as a covering. The material is also reinforced with modern polymer compounds that are resistant to vibration loads.

The safety of this section is ensured by a galvanized barrier structure and noise protection screens, the total length of which is 16 km. For winter operation, pumping stations with automatic anti-icing protection were erected.

The bridge will be illuminated by an improved external system. In addition, an expanded video surveillance system is provided.

The new bridge across the Sura River on the M-7 entered the top in terms of length in Russia. Photo: rutube.ru

The project for the crossing on the M-7 highway also included the installation of automated technology for monitoring the condition of the structure. The creation of the latter was of decisive importance, given the geological features of the construction zone.

The opening of the bridge took place in a solemn atmosphere. The ceremony was attended by the Chairman of the Government, the head of the Chuvash Republic, as well as representatives of the Federal Road Agency.

Officials emphasized that the new bridge is of great infrastructural importance for the region. The crossing allows doubling the capacity of one of Russia's key transport corridors.
Have you ever been to this part of M-7?
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