An unprecedented operation is taking place now in Crimea. Dozens of construction workers, with the help of special equipment, raise a huge railway arch. This structure, with a length of 227 meters, weighing 6,000 tons was built on the shore, and was already delivered to the installation site on the fairway. Now, it needs to be carefully lifted so that the ships could pass under the trains freely. My colleague Olga Armyakova is watching this historical operation in the Kerch Strait in real time.
It draws attention. The dazzling and unique pearl of the Crimean Bridge is already in the fairway. It seems as if the snow-white arch span is hovering in the air between the two strongest pillars of the Crimean Bridge. Smooth, almost imperceptible movements can hardly be noticed. But the arch, despite everything, continues its breathtaking rise to a height of 35 meters.
Just imagine, the weight of this huge structure is almost 6,000 tons. 16 heavy-duty jacks will be able to raise this giant. The so-called "strand" consisting of several steel cables passes through each of them. With their help, the arch is pulled up with the average speed of a snail, about 5 meters per hour.
Everything is going smoothly. Thus, a 100% load will be applied to the jack systems through the ropes to the arch, and the arch will gradually rise upwards. It’s closely controlled by hundreds of different sensors, which constantly measure pressure, temperature, and even Earth's gravity.
The smallest changes are sent to monitors in real time. There is absolute control over the weather, wind speed, sea waves, humidity. Today, the conditions are ideal for everything to work out. A unique operation was performed last night. This is the heart of the bridge. The arch was brought to the fairway and put into the bridge. This unprecedented naval operation began with the first rays of the rising sun. On these time lapse shots, you can see the huge arch gradually descending from the shore to a special floating system.
The way to the fairway begins at sunset. Dissecting waves, tugs deliver the arch to the installation site overnight. A team of more than 70 people worked on it. The preparation for this naval operation began last October. It’s become a postcard of the Crimean Bridge.
People on both sides of the Kerch Strait are watching its installation with bated breath. I’m so happy, you can’t even imagine. It drives me to tears. We’ll now be with Russia, we’ll freely travel across the bridge, the trains will pass. We’re waiting for this moment every day, for the moment when we’ll finally go to Kuban. Our relatives live there. We want to go there by car, or by bus, or by train. It’s a little more than a day before the naval operation is completed. As early as tomorrow, the fairway will be opened again, and the first ships will pass under the arch of the Crimean Bridge.
