WHSD is a modern highway, consisting of a number of unique structures. The length of highway is 46.6 km. The 55% of highway are artificial structures and it is divided into three sections - southern, central and northern.
Location
St Petersburg, Russia
Opening
December 4, 2016
Construction
Highway
ICA company ("Ictas Astaldi") – joint venture of Ictas Insaat (Turkey) and Astaldi (Italy) was assigned with general contractor role for the Central Section of Western High Speed Diameter project.
Central Section -
11.7 km
8 car lanes
3 bridges
1 tunnel
1 traffic interchange
St. Petersburg
The cable-stayed bridge over the Petrovsky fairway.
The cable-stayed bridge over the Korabelny fairway
The bridge over the Sea Canal
The tunnel under artificial channel of
the Smolenka River
Geography
The central section of the highway (its length is 11.7 km) became its most complex and expensive part, more than half of it is located above the water.
Geographical conditions predetermined the special place of artificial structures in this area. It’s the geological conditions that demanded the search for modern approaches and the application of new technical solutions for Russian bridge construction.
The double deck bridge
One of the most complicated engineering objects of the route is the bridge crossing the Sea Channel – the main water artery leading to the Port of Saint Petersburg.
Therefore its underclearance was 52 m what can be compared with the height of a 16-floor house. The structures represent a double deck where the carriageways of oncoming groups of traffic are located above each other. Taking into account the dense industrial development and neighboring with the operating port, the only possible option to build the object was launching.
The scales varied – starting from launching of flyover spans using winches, ending with curved launching of a double-deck steel deck with weight of more than 22 000 t. All the equipment consisting of hydraulic and electrical components was tailor-made specially for this project.
The double deck bridge over the Sea Canal, 2017
Construction was complicated by necessity to relocate utilities: the main gas pipeline, which was constructed in the underwater pipeline crossings under the Sea Channel at the depth of 40 m, and the high voltage power line. It took one year for the builders to perform these works. Construction of the Bridge across the Sea Channel was the first experience of launching a double deck of this length in the Russian bridge construction industry.
These new technical solutions were reflected in the bridge over the Sea Canal and two cable-stayed bridges over the Korabelny and Petrovsky fairways.
The bridge-symbol
No one can ignore one of the new symbols of the city - the cable-stayed bridge across the Korabelny fairway with total length of 620 meters and length of the central span of 320 meters, as well as an under clearance dimension of 35 meters.
The architecture of this bridge symbolizes the opening bridges of St. Petersburg, and the visual effect is achieved by inclined pylons.
The cable-stayed bridge across the Korabelny fairway, 2017
The “Airy” bridge
The bridge across the Petrovsky fairway is the second, but not the least, cable-stayed bridge of the project.
Its full length is 580 meters and the length of the central cable span is 240 meters. . The peculiarity of the bridge is the central location of the single pylon towers with respect to two span structures, as well as an unusual "air" weaving the cables. The height of the pylons is 124 meters.
The memorable appearance of the bridge was achieved due to the central location of single pylon towers. Due to this feature and because of the large width of the bridge, the cables are positioned in such a way that they diverge in three planes from the pylon to the level of the span structure.
The cable-stayed bridge across the Petrovsky fairway, 2017
Based on the approved architectural concept, the three-dimensional design model of the bridge was created, with the help of which static, dynamic and aerodynamic calculations were performed. On the basis of the data obtained, the main constructive solutions incorporated into the project were identified.
All these measures have ensured the strength and reliability of the bridge, and as a result, the complete safety of its operation in all weather conditions.
Tunnel
Entering Vasilevskiy Island the route descends from the bridge height and partially goes below the gulf level.
At first inside the half-tunnel 6 m deep, providing significant noise-level and visual impact reduction as to the residential development, and then it hides under the ground, “diving” under the Smolenka river. At this stage the builders faced very difficult geologic and hydrologic conditions. Tunnel under artificial channel of the Smolenka River 11 m deep and about 300 m long is a frame reinforced concrete structure.
The tunnel under artificial channel of the Smolenka River,
2017
The interchange on Vasilevskiy Island , 2017
For constructional materials effective supply, own plant with concrete capacity of 120 m3/hour was constructed.
Consortium
Despite all the difficulties, construction work was carried out in the shortest possible time - in the period from 2013 to 2016.
Western High Speed Diameter Opening
Advanced construction technologies, international experience, unity, good planning and organization of processes allowed to realize such a large-scale and technologically difficult project in time and with good quality.
The project was implemented by the Northern Capital Highway LLC, a consortium formed by VTB Capital, Gazprombank and ICA Construction (a joint venture of the Turkish IC Içtaş Inşaat and Italian Astaldi).
