Gatis
August 18th, 2007, 12:29 AM
The same thread is in Scandi-Baltic section of this forum.
A bunch of pictures from the largest construction site in Riga - Southern bridge with it's access estacades. Taken today - by me.
Short intro
www.dienvidutilts.lv
Dienvidu tilts/Southern bridge is fourth bridge over Daugava River inside Riga City borders. It is located some 5 km to the south from city centre. We sincerely hope that it will decrease the constant congestions in Riga city - insufficient road infrastructure is considered to be one of largest barriers towards success of Riga as international centre.
Right bank (where these pictures are taken) still feels like a busy city - continuous built area here continues for many km further south. Left bank is a bit less urbanised - here the bridge reaches right on the border of Riga City and Kekava municipality - but it is comparatively denesly built area as well.
Bridge itself is 803 m long. It has got 6 pylons, each 13,33 m high. Pylons have unique design/placement of guy-wires, which made the structural calculations of construction very complicated.
As it happens frequently - the bridge itself is not the most complicated part of bridge construction. Southern bridge will have a 7 km long access roads, which will be mostly elevated, having numerous trestles/rised access roads. Total costs of whole system will exceed 700 mio EUR, althogh the bridge itself costs "only" 120 mio EUR.
Project is ordered and paid by Riga City (without any EU money). Bridge is designed by Latvian " Tiltprojekts" and "Arhitektonika", technical expertise is provided by different Russian companies from St Petersburg and Moscow. Construction is performed by consortium of Latvian companies - they lately have attracted rather many guest workers/construction specialists from Ukraine, Bulgaria, other countries. Financed by "Deutsche Bank" (loan to construction consortium, repaid by city).
Whole Southern Bridge system can be seen here:
http://www.dienvidutilts.lv/admin/files/Dienvidu1.jpg
Currently there are first and second stages under construction. First stage (bridge itself and 6 estacades on the right bank) will be completed in late 2008. Second stage was started some months ago - it is told to be more complicated and in many ways more spectacular than the first - but this thread will be about the first stage.
- - -
OK, here come pictures.
Bridge itself
Bridge from below. It is 34 m wide - will have three lanes on each direction + bycycle lanes and pedestrian lanes. 34 m - it is like a height of 10-11 floor building.
http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/3417/dtiltsapaksta17aug07cp4.jpg
Closer view from below. Metal construction, where concrete slab is added on top. Bridge will serve also for high-pressure gas pipelines. Insinde of one of pipelines will be located also high voltage cable. Why inside? Because there is no air inside, cable will have longer lifetime and there is no oxygen available for any sparks.
http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/7006/dtiltsapaksa217aug07ip5.jpg
One of six pylons. Bridge is tuned like a guitar - wires are fastened, after some time (when additional construction has happened) measuring is made and bridge is tuned - and thus several times. In next year the ride should be very smooth.
http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/2921/dtiltspilons17aug07qe3.jpg
View towards the continuation of the bridge in right bank. We will go there soon to look at estacades. Lots of ugly, grey commieblocks - this is central-southern part of Maskacka (old nicname for this district - poorest in Riga), historical quartals have ended.
http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/7494/dtiltsunestak17aug07gz1.jpg
And this will be the view on Central Riga when driving across the bridge. City seems to be far away - but you still are deep in city:
http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/2815/rigaspanoramanodtilta31oc7.jpg
http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/9089/rigaspanoramanodtilta21sg0.jpg
- - -
Moving over to estacades:
View back, towards the Daugava river.
http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/4466/dtiltstalsskats17aug07ij2.jpg
Now we are standing above the busy Maskavas Street, looking towards the Daugava river - and... above us is towering the third floor of estacade. Greet it - this is the first three floor estacade system in Baltics!
http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/2817/dtiltsestak717aug07cd7.jpg
Traffic on Krasta/Maskavas Street hasn't been stopped by construction works - not a single hour. But four times have been shifted temporary roads.
http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/9764/dtiltssatiksme17aug07iz2.jpg
And now - pictures of estacades - in total this crossing will have six of them:
http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/4905/dtiltsestakstradn17aug0yr2.jpg
New 11-floor apartment building. Btw. there are approved already 10 highrise office buildings at both ends of the bridge - no construction started as they are waiting for bridge to be ready and some space open for new construction works.
http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/5234/dtiltsestakmaja17aug07tn3.jpg
http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/8664/dtiltsestak617aug07wh8.jpg
City is changing the windows in nearby commieblocks - now they are getting triple glass and good sound isolation.
http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/3220/dtiltsestak317aug07uy2.jpg
http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/5757/dtiltsestakbiroji17aug0bw3.jpg
http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/6840/dtiltsestak517aug07dv5.jpg
http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/8931/dtiltsestak1017aug07yj8.jpg
http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/8782/dtiltsestak17aug07ey6.jpg
http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/8438/dtiltsestak917aug07ig0.jpg
http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/8963/dtiltsestak817aug07te5.jpg
http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/7429/dtiltsestak417aug07ts5.jpg
View towards the 500 mio EUR worth next stage (far away) - Slavu bridge. http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/1696/dtiltsestak217aug07qh6.jpg
Slavu bridge (it goes across railway) looks as if located far below. Currently it looks (and feels) like third world traffic - but soon this should be over.
http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/9642/dtiltsslavuapl17aug07rg4.jpg
That's it! Hope - you enjoyed it!
Riga is preparing next - a lot more ambitious road infrastructure project. See it here:
www.northerncorridor.lv
A bunch of pictures from the largest construction site in Riga - Southern bridge with it's access estacades. Taken today - by me.
Short intro
www.dienvidutilts.lv
Dienvidu tilts/Southern bridge is fourth bridge over Daugava River inside Riga City borders. It is located some 5 km to the south from city centre. We sincerely hope that it will decrease the constant congestions in Riga city - insufficient road infrastructure is considered to be one of largest barriers towards success of Riga as international centre.
Right bank (where these pictures are taken) still feels like a busy city - continuous built area here continues for many km further south. Left bank is a bit less urbanised - here the bridge reaches right on the border of Riga City and Kekava municipality - but it is comparatively denesly built area as well.
Bridge itself is 803 m long. It has got 6 pylons, each 13,33 m high. Pylons have unique design/placement of guy-wires, which made the structural calculations of construction very complicated.
As it happens frequently - the bridge itself is not the most complicated part of bridge construction. Southern bridge will have a 7 km long access roads, which will be mostly elevated, having numerous trestles/rised access roads. Total costs of whole system will exceed 700 mio EUR, althogh the bridge itself costs "only" 120 mio EUR.
Project is ordered and paid by Riga City (without any EU money). Bridge is designed by Latvian " Tiltprojekts" and "Arhitektonika", technical expertise is provided by different Russian companies from St Petersburg and Moscow. Construction is performed by consortium of Latvian companies - they lately have attracted rather many guest workers/construction specialists from Ukraine, Bulgaria, other countries. Financed by "Deutsche Bank" (loan to construction consortium, repaid by city).
Whole Southern Bridge system can be seen here:
http://www.dienvidutilts.lv/admin/files/Dienvidu1.jpg
Currently there are first and second stages under construction. First stage (bridge itself and 6 estacades on the right bank) will be completed in late 2008. Second stage was started some months ago - it is told to be more complicated and in many ways more spectacular than the first - but this thread will be about the first stage.
- - -
OK, here come pictures.
Bridge itself
Bridge from below. It is 34 m wide - will have three lanes on each direction + bycycle lanes and pedestrian lanes. 34 m - it is like a height of 10-11 floor building.
http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/3417/dtiltsapaksta17aug07cp4.jpg
Closer view from below. Metal construction, where concrete slab is added on top. Bridge will serve also for high-pressure gas pipelines. Insinde of one of pipelines will be located also high voltage cable. Why inside? Because there is no air inside, cable will have longer lifetime and there is no oxygen available for any sparks.
http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/7006/dtiltsapaksa217aug07ip5.jpg
One of six pylons. Bridge is tuned like a guitar - wires are fastened, after some time (when additional construction has happened) measuring is made and bridge is tuned - and thus several times. In next year the ride should be very smooth.
http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/2921/dtiltspilons17aug07qe3.jpg
View towards the continuation of the bridge in right bank. We will go there soon to look at estacades. Lots of ugly, grey commieblocks - this is central-southern part of Maskacka (old nicname for this district - poorest in Riga), historical quartals have ended.
http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/7494/dtiltsunestak17aug07gz1.jpg
And this will be the view on Central Riga when driving across the bridge. City seems to be far away - but you still are deep in city:
http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/2815/rigaspanoramanodtilta31oc7.jpg
http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/9089/rigaspanoramanodtilta21sg0.jpg
- - -
Moving over to estacades:
View back, towards the Daugava river.
http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/4466/dtiltstalsskats17aug07ij2.jpg
Now we are standing above the busy Maskavas Street, looking towards the Daugava river - and... above us is towering the third floor of estacade. Greet it - this is the first three floor estacade system in Baltics!
http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/2817/dtiltsestak717aug07cd7.jpg
Traffic on Krasta/Maskavas Street hasn't been stopped by construction works - not a single hour. But four times have been shifted temporary roads.
http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/9764/dtiltssatiksme17aug07iz2.jpg
And now - pictures of estacades - in total this crossing will have six of them:
http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/4905/dtiltsestakstradn17aug0yr2.jpg
New 11-floor apartment building. Btw. there are approved already 10 highrise office buildings at both ends of the bridge - no construction started as they are waiting for bridge to be ready and some space open for new construction works.
http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/5234/dtiltsestakmaja17aug07tn3.jpg
http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/8664/dtiltsestak617aug07wh8.jpg
City is changing the windows in nearby commieblocks - now they are getting triple glass and good sound isolation.
http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/3220/dtiltsestak317aug07uy2.jpg
http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/5757/dtiltsestakbiroji17aug0bw3.jpg
http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/6840/dtiltsestak517aug07dv5.jpg
http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/8931/dtiltsestak1017aug07yj8.jpg
http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/8782/dtiltsestak17aug07ey6.jpg
http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/8438/dtiltsestak917aug07ig0.jpg
http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/8963/dtiltsestak817aug07te5.jpg
http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/7429/dtiltsestak417aug07ts5.jpg
View towards the 500 mio EUR worth next stage (far away) - Slavu bridge. http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/1696/dtiltsestak217aug07qh6.jpg
Slavu bridge (it goes across railway) looks as if located far below. Currently it looks (and feels) like third world traffic - but soon this should be over.
http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/9642/dtiltsslavuapl17aug07rg4.jpg
That's it! Hope - you enjoyed it!
Riga is preparing next - a lot more ambitious road infrastructure project. See it here:
www.northerncorridor.lv