When is the Kerch bridge scheduled to open? When will the bridge to Crimea be opened for trains? Consequences of the opening of the Kerch Bridge
Russia announced that it plans to put into operation the road part of the Crimean Bridge significantly ahead of schedule. Instead of the end of 2018, traffic on the bridge will be opened in May: to achieve this task, traffic will be organized in stages. An exception is provided for freight and technological transport involved in the construction of the railway part of the Crimean Bridge. Construction vehicles will be able to move across the Crimean Bridge immediately after the opening of its road part.
According to a message on the department’s website, the decision is due to the optimization of logistics flows during the peak summer season to reduce the load on the road network of the Kerch and Taman Peninsulas. Earlier, President Vladimir asked road workers about the possibility of launching the bridge specifically for the May holidays.
In particular, it is planned that in May a through passage will be provided on the 40-kilometer road approach from the Taman coast (from the existing federal highway A-290 to the Crimean Bridge), without putting into operation transport interchanges with the local road network. At the same time, on the Crimean side, the auto approach from the Crimean Bridge to the interchange with the Tavrida highway will be ready for the opening of traffic in operating mode. Further traffic will go along two lanes of the existing Kerch - Simferopol road.
By the end of 2018, two new Tavrida lanes to Simferopol should be ready, and auto approaches to the Crimean Bridge will be fully introduced, which will allow temporary restrictions on the movement of freight transport along the route across the Kerch Strait to be lifted.
The automobile approach to the transport crossing through the Kerch Strait from the Crimea is one of the key elements of the peninsula’s transport system being created. The auto approach will connect the Crimean Bridge with the Tavrida highway, providing the possibility of movement for all vehicles heading through the Kerch Strait and back to the mainland.
As the State Road Committee of Crimea clarified, the automobile approach is a four-lane road of the 1st technical category. The length of the auto approach is 8.6 km. It includes three artificial structures and one transport interchange, the readiness of which ranges from 30 to 82%.
Preparatory work for the construction of the auto approach began in December 2016. Currently, the embankment of the main road bed is 93% complete, the top layer of the base is 88% complete, and the bottom layer of the covering is about 80%. 7 km of 4-lane asphalt was laid on the road approach.
The overall readiness of the facility is 80%.
The opening of work traffic will be synchronized with the opening of automobile traffic on the Crimean Bridge. The facility will be fully operational at the end of the year.
Let us recall that on Wednesday, March 14, Putin, during his visit to the Krasnodar Territory and Crimea, visited the construction site for the construction of the automobile part of the bridge. He said that what he saw was impressive.
“It’s just a unique structure, not only for our country, but also, I think, there are few analogues like it in the world.
I was just now told how it was necessary to fit within these 72 hours in order to put the anchor in its place. Hard work. I congratulate you on this stage. I hope that everything will be completed as expected, on time and maybe even ahead of schedule and with high quality. Great, just well done! I would like to wish you success,” the head of state added.
He asked the builders whether it was now possible to drive along this route from coast to coast, to which he received an affirmative answer.
“All that remains is to retrofit, as I understand it, the highway, to complete the markings, to lay asphalt concrete. This is no longer the most difficult work,” Putin added.
In addition, Putin noted that the construction of a bridge to Crimea was thought about back in tsarist times.
Let us remind you that the bridge across the Kerch Strait, which is called the Crimean Strait, is indeed the longest in Europe, its length will be 19 kilometers. Capacity - 40 thousand cars and 47 pairs of trains per day, 14 million passengers and 13 million tons of cargo per year.
The road and railway parts are being built in parallel; the opening of the latter for train traffic is scheduled for early 2019. The bridge begins on the Taman Peninsula, runs along a five-kilometer dam and the island of Tuzla, crosses the Kerch Strait and reaches the coast of Crimea.
In the coming years, the Tavrida expressway will be built from the bridge, which will allow motorists to quickly get from the strait to Simferopol and Sevastopol.
Yesterday, many Russian media, citing a statement by the President of the Russian Federation, announced the early launch of the Crimean Bridge. Is it so? Vladimir PUTIN, during the announcement, mentioned the imminent launch of traffic on the Crimean Bridge: “In a few months, automobile traffic will open on the Crimean Bridge, and next year, railway traffic will open. This will give impetus to the development of Crimea and the entire Russian Black Sea region.” Many Russian media began to talk about an early launch. Headlines with mention were in the country's main news feed. But did the journalists write the truth?
What did Putin say about the launch of the Crimean Bridge?
Vladimir Vladimirovich said that car traffic on the Crimean Bridge will open “in a few months.” But how much is it? People say: “Several is an elastic concept.” This could be 2, 3, or even 9 months. What do official representatives say about this?Official date for the launch of traffic on the Crimean Bridge
From the very beginning of construction, it was stated that vehicular traffic along the crossing would open in December 2018. In fact, from March to December there are also several months. Therefore, the question arises: “Was there a statement about an early launch?”Statement on the early launch of the Crimean Bridge
Rumors about an early launch also did not appear out of thin air. Firstly, even at the level of the State Council it was reported that traffic on the Crimean Bridge would be launched before the summer season of 2018. During the Open Crimea tourism forum, the head of the State Council of the Republic Committee on Sanatorium-Resort Complex and Tourism, Alexei CHERNYAK, told how he sees the upcoming holiday season: “Transport logistics will change completely. First of all, this is the opening of a new airport this spring, the opening of road communication (with the mainland - editor's note).” That is, Crimea is already expecting a stream of tourists who will come to the peninsula via the Crimean Bridge. However, the press service of the Crimean Bridge responds to official inquiries that the launch will take place in December. There is a Crimean Bridge community on the social network, where bridge builders and fans of the “construction of the century” communicate and share information. It has been noted here many times that the construction of the bridge is well ahead of schedule. “Several - it could be 3, or maybe 9, so nothing new.” “He didn’t say clearly when, in a few months - the concept is flexible, maybe two, maybe three, or maybe 9, and it will turn out to be December.” I heard from workers that it seems to be May 8th. But this is not certain,” write community subscribers. So when will they open? Read:When will the Crimean Bridge be opened?
It is possible to accept the possibility that they will open for the holiday season. After all, this has already been announced at the ministry level, and the bridge builders themselves note that the work is progressing ahead of schedule. However, there is one nuance that was noticed by all the same public subscribers: “The VAD with the overpass does not keep up with the construction of the bridge. We have to put in a temporary detour instead of the overpass itself.” Even if they manage to complete the construction this spring, which is unlikely, then what to do with it? Everyone remembers the kilometer-long traffic jams near Feodosia. Will they have time to make an interchange at? If car traffic opens up and there are more tourists with their own cars, then how many hours or days will people be stuck in traffic jams? “Several”?Can the Crimean Bridge be opened by May 9?
The whole of Russia is waiting, but the news about the early launch is joyful only for those who do not understand how important it is to synchronize the construction processes of the Crimean Bridge, the auto approaches to it, the overpass in Kerch and the readiness of the Tavrida highway. Therefore, we can conclude that in the president’s statement, many people heard only what they wanted to hear.Millions of Russians, and not only others, are eagerly awaiting the opening of the Crimean Bridge. This is one of the global construction projects of this decade.
The bridge begins on the Taman Peninsula, runs along the existing five-kilometer dam and Tuzla Island, crosses the Kerch Strait, and reaches the Crimean Coast. The launch of the bridge will ensure transport accessibility with continental Russia, which does not have land connections.
When will the Crimean Bridge open?
Construction of the bridge has been underway since February 2016. The bridge will be the longest in Russia – 19 km. The bridge will include two parallel routes for cars and trains.
Previously, traffic on the automobile part of the road was planned to open in December 2018, but at the moment the possibility of early opening of this part of the road is allowed. According to the latest data, the bridge across the Kerch Strait will open in the second half of May 2018, presumably on the 18th. But the construction period for the route along which trains will pass is currently scheduled for December 2019.
At first, freight transport will be prohibited on the Crimean Bridge. Also, new routes leading to the bridge are not yet ready. Therefore, serious traffic jams are possible at the entrance to the crossing on both sides.
When will the Crimean Bridge be opened for trucks?
There is no such information yet. Truck drivers fear that restrictions will be imposed on the passage of heavy vehicles based on weight, dimensions, and dangerous goods. There are rumors that the bridge will be closed to trucks until at least 2020. According to other sources, the trucks will be launched in October 2018, after the end of the holiday season.
In any case, all cargo transportation can be carried out, as before, through the ferry crossing.
Ferry crossing after the launch of the Crimean Bridge
The Kerch ferry crossing (port Crimea - port Caucasus) is one of the main arteries connecting the Crimea peninsula with Russia. After the completion of the Kerch Bridge, the congestion of the crossing will decrease significantly, but the need for it will remain. The crossing will be in demand, but more for cargo transportation. According to some reports, it is planned to build a large logistics center in Kerch, the work of which will maintain the load on the crossing between the port of Crimea and the port of Caucasus.
At the moment, the crossing is operating as usual, and will continue to operate in 2019, 2020 and subsequent years.
Traffic on the automobile part of the Crimean Bridge will be launched in May 2018. This was reported by the Russian Ministry of Transport. The department noted that the bridge will be closed to freight transport for the first few months - the entire automobile part will be put into operation according to plan, in December. In early March, Vladimir Putin visited the construction site. He noted that the bridge across the Kerch Strait will give an additional impetus to the development of the Crimean Peninsula.
The Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation reported that the launch of traffic on the Crimean Bridge across the Kerch Strait will take place in two stages. This scheme is due to the fact that the builders plan to put the road part of the Crimean Bridge into operation “significantly ahead of schedule” - in May 2018.
“At the first stage - immediately after the bridge is commissioned - the passage will be open to passenger vehicles and buses providing passenger transportation. The opening of traffic for freight transport is planned at the second stage - at the end of 2018, as planned in the original schedules,” the ministry’s website reports.
At the same time, freight transport that takes part in the construction of the railway part of the bridge will be able to move along the road immediately after its opening. As the department explained, the gradual launch of traffic should optimize traffic flows during the “peak summer season.”
“It is planned that in May a through passage will be provided on the 40-kilometer road approach from the Taman coast (from the existing federal highway A-290 to the Crimean Bridge), without putting into operation transport interchanges with the local road network. At the same time, on the Crimean side, the auto approach from the Crimean Bridge to the interchange with the Tavrida highway will be ready for the opening of traffic in operating mode. Further traffic will go along two lanes of the existing Kerch-Simferopol road,” the Ministry of Transport explained.
In addition, by the end of 2018, two new Tavrida lanes should be ready (the Kerch - Simferopol - Sevastopol highway), and the auto approaches to the Crimean Bridge should also be fully operational.
The bridge across the Kerch Strait, which will connect Crimea and the Krasnodar Territory, will be the longest in Russia: its length will be 19 km. The start of vehicle traffic on the bridge was initially planned for the end of 2018. However, the builders said that they are ahead of the curve and plan to open the passage in May. Construction has been underway since February 2016; car traffic was scheduled to open in December 2018, and train traffic at the end of 2019.
New impulse
At the beginning of March 2018, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the construction site. He assessed the progress of work and expressed the wish that people could start using the bridge in the summer of 2018.
“I would like, of course, that people could already use it in the summer season,” noted the head of the Russian state.
He also called the structure unique and impressive and expressed hope that the bridge will be ready on time or “even ahead of schedule.”
“All that remains is to retrofit, I understand, the highway, make markings there, lay asphalt concrete - this is no longer the most difficult work,” Putin said in early March, emphasizing that the launch of the movement “will give impetus to the development of Crimea and the entire Russian Black Sea region.”
According to the President of the Russian Federation, as soon as this project is implemented, life on the peninsula will change significantly - “and cargo will be easier to deliver, and communication will be simpler.”
Let us recall that at the end of February 2018, the Russian government supplemented the list of federal highways by including the route Krasnodar - Slavyansk-on-Kuban - Temryuk - highway A-290 "Novorossiysk - Kerch". This step, according to the country's leadership, will improve the level of road maintenance, traffic safety, and will open up the prospect of implementing work on further expansion, taking into account the reconstruction of existing bottlenecks.
Reunification with Russia
The need to build a bridge across the Kerch Strait arose after the reunification of Crimea with Russia. Before this, the peninsula could only be reached by land through the territory of Ukraine. On March 19, 2014, Russian President Vladimir Putin set the Ministry of Transport the task of building road and railway bridges across the Kerch Strait.
The decision to build was made the day after the peninsula first celebrated the Day of Reunification of Crimea with Russia. It was on March 18, 2014 that the President of Russia and the leadership of Sevastopol, on the basis of a referendum held in Crimea, signed an agreement on the entry of this territory into the Russian Federation. In 2018, the fourth anniversary of this event was celebrated.
The West still does not recognize the legality of Russia’s reunification with the peninsula. The State Department condemned the president's March trip to the peninsula, saying that Moscow was violating the sovereignty of Ukraine.
The Russian Embassy in the United States called the State Department's statements an attempt to influence the internal political situation in Russia. Diplomats again recalled that four years ago the Crimeans, in a truly democratic way - through a referendum - corrected a historical injustice (the peninsula was illegally transferred to Soviet Ukraine in 1954).
The vote, which took place on March 16, 2014, took place in accordance with the UN Charter and the 1970 Declaration of Principles of International Law, which enshrines the right to self-determination, including “free accession to or association with an independent State.” At the same time, more than 90% of the inhabitants of the peninsula were in favor of joining Russia.
The media repeatedly raises the question of when the bridge to Crimea will be built and when the facility will be put into full operation.
When will the bridge to Crimea be ready? It will be opened on time; there are no technical or other obstacles to this. Thus, the launch of road transport is planned for the end of December 2018, and the railway – for December 1, 2019.
When will the Crimean Bridge be built? Road transport will be launched at the end of December 2018
When will the Crimean Bridge be opened: deadlines are met
The opening date of the Kerch Bridge was precisely determined immediately after two maritime operations to install the arch spans were successfully carried out. The government of the country, like the residents of Russia, is interested in making cars and trains travel faster from the mainland of the Russian Federation to Crimea.
The day when the bridge to Crimea is completed will become an important event in the life of the residents of the peninsula and the entire country. The positive results include the following factors:
- When the construction of the bridge across the Kerch Strait is completed, then all problems associated with the delivery of cargo and construction materials to Crimea will be eliminated;
- The ports in Kerch and Taman will be unloaded;
- When the Crimean Bridge is completed, the speed of delivery of goods from the continental part of the Russian Federation to Crimea and back will increase. As a result, prices for many goods will fall and the cost of materials will decrease.
Thus, when the bridge across the Kerch Strait is completely completed, transport interchanges on highways and railways are built, then the facility will be put into full operation. This is important both for tourists and for residents of Crimea, and for establishing economic and trade ties between the peninsula and other cities of the Russian Federation.
When will the bridge to Crimea be built? Railway trains will be launched on December 1, 2019
When will the Crimean Bridge across the Kerch Strait be delivered?
The crossing of the Kerch Strait is an important strategic object, so the date of commissioning of the Crimean Bridge is of interest to journalists, ordinary citizens, and the country's leadership. The length of the Crimean Bridge will be 19 kilometers, which will pass along the island of Tuzla, the Tuzlan Spit, the Taman and Crimea peninsulas.
The construction process itself and the dates when the bridge to Crimea will be opened are already unique and original in world practice. It will take a full three years to launch road and rail connections. 40 thousand cars and 47 trains will pass through the crossing per day.
Already the 2019 tourist season should become a record one for the peninsula if the launch date of the road bridge does not change. When the Kerch Bridge is opened, then many travelers will be able to easily get to the peninsula to the sea.
Later, in December 2019, when the Crimean Bridge is fully operational, freight and passenger trains will begin operating. Such short deadlines do not reduce the quality of the work performed, but only confirm the bridge builders’ ability to quickly fulfill their obligations.