Novospassky Bridge (russian: Новоспасский Мост, Novospasskiy Most) is a steel

plate girder bridge A plate girder bridge is a bridge supported by two or more plate girders. Overview In a plate girder bridge, the plate girders are typically I-beams made up from separate structural steel plates (rather than rolled as a single cross-section), ...

that spans Moskva River, connecting

Novospassky Monastery Novospassky Monastery (''New Monastery of the Savior'', russian: Новоспасский монастырь) is one of the fortified monasteries surrounding Moscow from the south-east. Like all medieval Russian monasteries, it was built by the Ru ...

and

Paveletsky rail terminal Paveletsky station (russian: Павелецкий вокзал) is one of Moscow's nine main railway stations. Originally called Saratovsky Railway Station, it was named after the settlement of Pavelets, when the railroad heading south-east from M ...

areas in

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

(about 3 kilometers south-east from the Kremlin). It was built in 1911, as a triple-span steel

arch bridge An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side. A viaduct ...

. Reconstruction in 2000 replaced arches with a simpler plate girder structure. Note that the memorial plaque on the bridge spells its name ''Ново-Спасский'', with dash, despite tradition and spelling rules.

History

Wooden bridges at the site of fortified

Novospassky monastery Novospassky Monastery (''New Monastery of the Savior'', russian: Новоспасский монастырь) is one of the fortified monasteries surrounding Moscow from the south-east. Like all medieval Russian monasteries, it was built by the Ru ...

existed since 16th century. The last wooden causeway was demolished in 1910. In 1911, the city built a triple-span arched bridge, similar to other pre-revolutionary Moscow bridges. Spans were 40.54, 46.99 and 40.54 meters long, 21.2 meters wide (4 lanes, including two tram lines). Each span was supported by 14 arches, 3.7 meters high for middle span, 3.3 meters high for side spans. Steel deck was paved with timbers. In 1937–1938, the bridge was reconstructed to the design by Yu.F.Werner (

structural engineering Structural engineering is a sub-discipline of civil engineering in which structural engineers are trained to design the 'bones and muscles' that create the form and shape of man-made structures. Structural engineers also must understand and cal ...

), N.B.Sokolov and Yakovlev brothers (architectural design). They raised the deck by 2.7 meters, which increased water clearance 8.6 meters high, 30 meters wide (for heavy barge traffic after completion of

Moscow Canal The Moscow Canal (russian: Кана́л и́мени Москвы́), named the Moskva–Volga Canal until 1947, is a canal in Russia that connects the Moskva River with the Volga River. It is located in Moscow itself and in the Mosc ...

). This also enabled separating embankment and bridge traffic in two levels (street-level throughways under main deck), total length with ramps reached 502 meters. Timber pavement was replaced with concrete and asphalt.

Reconstruction of 2000

In 2000, the bridge was rebuilt with complete replacement of deck structure. Arches were replaced with a simple steel girder set covered with

orthotropic deck An orthotropic bridge or orthotropic deck is typically one whose fabricated deck consists of a structural steel deck plate stiffened either longitudinally with ribs or transversely, or in both directions. This allows the fabricated deck both t ...

, 24.4 meters wide. The architects tried to mimic the old outline with arch-like skirts; these look inadequately lightweight and are nowhere near the original. The structure itself is lightweight, excessively vibrating when trams pass by. Build quality is questionable. As soon as 2003, the granite-clad shoreside pillars and ramps were covered with rusty spots showing fast corrosion right under the surface. According to the authors of ''Bridges of Moscow'', reconstruction of ''Novospassky'' is the worst of its kind ever done in Moscow.''Bridges of Moscow'', 2004, p.70

References

Bridges in Moscow Deck arch bridges Bridges completed in 1911 Plate girder bridges 1911 establishments in the Russian Empire {{Roads in Moscow

History

Reconstruction of 2000

See also

References