In the city of Sokal, the reconstruction of the bridge crossing over the Western Bug River on the Sokal – Stoyaniv local public road continues.
As a reminder, back in 2019, the bridge crossing was inspected and declared to be in disrepair. There is no point in repairing this bridge, so it was decided to build a new crossing. It was also impossible to postpone the project until after the war, as the local community would be left without a road connection.
In 2023, design and estimate documentation was prepared and construction work began.
The project envisages the reconstruction of the bridge crossing over the Western Bug River with a complete reconstruction of the bridge, namely the dismantling of the existing 127.87 m long bridge and the construction of a new 130.03 m long bridge with the construction of a road section (approaches to the bridge) that will connect the new bridge with the road O141602 Sokal – Stoyaniv.
The contractor has already completed the reconstruction:
◾️побудови islands for drilling machine exit;
◾️перевлаштування external gas supply networks;
◾️влаштування bridge supports;
This year, construction work continues.
Today, bridge builders are arranging bored piles and installing formwork elements for monolithic girders.
The construction contractor: Avtomagistral-Pivden LLC.
In October 2023, the Voice of Sokal was able to interview Ivan Krytskyi, a representative of the contractor, about the characteristics of the future bridge crossing.
The residents of Sokal have long been aware of the emergency condition of the bridge that stretches across the Western Bug River to Zhvirka. This has been repeatedly reported by Holos Sokalshchyny. There were more than one attempt to start building a new crossing, but only in 2023 did the work really begin. The bridge is located near the border and will perform an important logistical function, not only for our region in the future.
– What are the main parameters of the bridge?
The new bridge will have 2.5 meters of roadway width on both sides, and 8.7 meters of total width. The road category on the bridge is 2. This means that trucks weighing 40 tons or more can cross the bridge. Such bridges are always designed with a margin of safety. Although the maximum weight allowed per axle will be 24 tons.
130 meters is the length of the bridge.
– Will there be noise insulation on the bridge? What will the fences be like?
The bridge will have 1.5-meter-high barrier supports, which will go over the bridge on the supports. The bridge will have a bridge slab, and the approaches will have a road slab.
The sidewalks have railings both on and off the bridge. Due to the fact that the subgrade embankment exceeds 2 meters, it will be necessary to install railings.
No noise insulation is planned – only a railing.
– What can you tell us about the utilities that will pass through the bridge?
There will be gas communication on one side of the bridge and water communication on the other side.
The drainage of the bridge will be under the bridge. The water will be discharged through channels and discharged into the river. The treatment plant will be located on the territory of the old bridge on the side of the village of Zhvyrka.
What funding is needed to complete the bridge construction?
The contract price for the bridge is UAH 357 million. But this amount includes inflationary processes. There are no works worth UAH 357 million. We expected the construction of the bridge to take 3 years with a fairly significant inflation. We are planning to start the construction of the bridge in ideal weather conditions, when the weather is perfect, and to arrange the foundations: piles and girders. And we will start installing the main girders on the bridge. These are the main works.
As you can see, we have installed temporary islands on both sides of the river. We will be able to dismantle them only after the main girders are installed.
In the spring, we want to get out of the river completely (interview – October 2024).
What is currently financed – what works can you complete?
At the moment, we have an amount of UAH 100 million. At the moment, we have submitted the first acts. This would allow us to mount all the piles. These are 4 intermediate piles and 2 coastal piles.
What infrastructure is provided for the bridge?
Lighting on both sides. Also communications, including telecom operators. All the communications that ran across the old bridge will be provided and reconnected in the new one.
As for the traffic across the old bridge, how will it work?
We had to eliminate one pedestrian zone on the old bridge because the dimensions of the drilling rig did not allow us to carry out the work. It was a mistake by the designers and we had to get out of the situation. The river traffic on the old bridge will be reversed during the works.
But if we had completed all the work in the river, we could have opened full traffic for cars.
That is, if you completed the work with the funds that have already been allocated to you, traffic on the old bridge would be restored?
Yes, but it will depend on what kind of work we do. But if there is a need to block traffic or partially restrict it, we will do so. This is envisaged by the project.
Have you taken into account the possibility of floods in spring?
Yes, we know that the water level rises significantly in spring. We hope that we will put up all the beams and dismantle the islands as soon as possible.
But I want to emphasize that if we mount the beams, we will have completed 80% of the work. Because this is the most capacious work.
By the way, on Saturday, we started the construction of piles. The ones near the river are being driven into the river. Each pile has a different height. This takes into account the influence of the river on the pile.
As for the soil in the river, the piles are up to 20 meters long, which is sufficient for our region.
When do you plan to complete the bridge construction?
Under ideal conditions, by the end of 2024.
How many years of operation is the bridge expected to last?
Up to 100 years. But with the right operating conditions. To do this, it is necessary to eliminate deformations in the pavement on the bridge in time, to remove branches or other debris in the river.
Are there any opportunities to cross the bridge?
Slopes are being concreted under the bridge – there will be a gabion to hold the slope. There will be no crossings under the bridge.
What will be the colors of the bridge?
The beams will be light gray. The coating on the bridge will be gray.
What walkways will be provided?
Only two pedestrian paths of 2.5 meters each. Perhaps, at the request of the customer, markings for bicycles will be applied over time.
Thank you for the conversation.