Crimean Bridge Reaches 93% Milestone - Opening Ceremony Drawing Nearer and Nearer
Vehicle access to the Crimean Bridge is 93% done. The Ministry of Transport predicts a significant price drop for petroleum products in the region due to the implementation of the new throughway. Meanwhile, resorts are expecting a fivefold increase in tourist flow. Everyone is monitoring the construction process even from space. The first pictures were taken from the ISS. They were published by Anton Shkaplerov, a Russian astronaut.
Here's how the Crimean Bridge looks from space. Passenger vehicles and tour buses will be able to use the bridge in May, and trucks will be able to use it by October. The Public Roads State Committee of Crimea assures that there will be no traffic jams on the bridge, even during peak season.
Our correspondent, Olga Armyakova is live from the Crimean Bridge over the Kerch Strait.
- Hello, Olga. The opening ceremony is getting close. What else needs to be done there?
- Hello, Andrey. The road that connects two shores of one country is ready. The workers are laying down the last meters of fresh, heavy-duty asphalt right now. Here they are, the 19 kilometers that cross the Kerch Strait. In the distance, you can see the white railroad and highway arc. In just a few weeks, this road will see its first vehicles and busses. Almost everything is ready for that. Guardrails have been installed along the entire highway, and bright lamp posts have been mounted to ensure safe driving conditions on the Crimean Bridge even at nighttime or amid poor weather conditions.
Soon, they'll install traffic signs and apply road markings here, which will be the final chord. This road is already being washed using special equipment. Basically, they are applying the finishing touches as they polish it to perfection. This is where the first cars will be seen. Drivers should be aware of the important fact that the speed limit on the Crimean Bridge is 90 km/h. What will the road be like? For that, we go to the experts.
- What will this road over the Kerch Strait be like?
Leonid Ryshenkin, the Deputy CEO of the Engineering & Procurement Company: "The road will be perfect because we're honestly proud of the work done. When we drive our service cars along the finished parts of the road, we know that drivers will be very comfortable driving here".
Hundreds of tests have been conducted to test the road and the bridge's structure. The tests have proven that this is a highly reliable structure because the Crimean Bridge is being built to last. Construction never stops here; it never slows down even for a minute. While preparing to open the highway atop the Crimean Bridge, the workers are also building the railroad part of the bridge. The bridge will be open for rail traffic in December 2019.
- Thank you, Olga. That was our correspondent, Olga Armyakova reporting on the final stages of the Crimean Bridge construction project.