In Irkutsk, after more than three months of repairs, the middle bridge over the Ushakovka, built in 1998 and has long been in a dilapidated condition, has reopened. The opening should ease the other two crossings, but access via Kultukskaya Street remains problematic because of water on the road and a damaged surface.
Almost a month later, but the movement has begun. Today in Irkutsk, after repairs, the middle bridge over the Ushakovka River was reopened. The reconstruction lasted more than 3 months.This wooden crossing was built in 1998. Recently it had been in an emergency state - the timber had rotted, and the road surface had worn out. The contractor promised to finish the repairs by City Day, but did not make it in time. At first there was no necessary material, then the weather got in the way. The asphalt was laid only the evening before yesterday. The director of the bridge maintenance service, Anatoly Tkach, assures that all technical standards and requirements have been met. The surface will need to be replaced in 5 years, and the timber, impregnated with creosote, will last much longer.
- We drove in only 2,500 nails per span. I, as they say, do not envy the person who will repair it in 15 years. I think we tried to make it last faithfully for about 15 years, says Anatoly Tkach, director of the Municipal Unitary Enterprise "Bridge Maintenance Service".
The opening of the bridge will help ease the load on the other two crossings over the Ushakovka, where traffic jams were constant during peak hours while the repairs were underway. However, access to the restored bridge via Kultukskaya Street is difficult. Water accumulates there on the roadway. During rains, it covers cars up to the bumper, and it is quite difficult to get through. In addition, the road surface itself is broken up. This year, the street is not planned to be repaired.