Trinity Bridge (Saint Petersburg)

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Trinity Bridge

Trinity Bridge (Russian: Тро́ицкий мост) is the bridge across Neva in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It connects Kamennoostrovsky Prospect with Suvorovskaya Square. It was built as the third permanent bridge across the Neva between 1897 and 1903 by the French firm "Batignolles". It is 582 meters long and 23.6 meters wide. Former names of the bridge are Equality Bridge (Russian: мост Ра́венства, 1918-1934), and Kirovsky Bridge (Russian: Ки́ровский мост, 1934-1999).

[edit] History and construction

In 1803 Voskresensky ponton bridge, which existed since 1786 near Voskresensky Prospected (now Chernyshevsky Prospect), was moved to Summer Garden. In 1825, after creating of Suvorovskaya Square, ponton Suvorovsky Bridge connected it with Troitskaya Square. Stone bank piers, openwork cast iron gratings and lanterns by A. P. Zuyev, V. P. Lebedev, P. P. Bazen were set. In design of lanterns motives of warrior's armor were used (afterwards lamps were revived in entrances of the bridge, cast iron gratings - on Kronverkskaya Embankment).

In 1892 the contest for constructing of permanent Troitsky Bridge was started. There were 16 projects of Russian and European engineers, including project of French engenieer Gustave Eiffel, the creator of famous tower in Paris. The winner was the out-of-competition project of V. Shabrol and R. Patulyar from French "Building Company Batgnolles". Their project was essentially supplemented by Russian engineers G. G. Krivoshein (the author of modern stone viaduct), N. A. Belelyubsky, L. F. Nikolai and others. Special commission from Academy of Arts, including Leon Benois, A. N. Pomerantsev, G. A. Gedike and G. I. Kotov participated in the project, too. I. A. Landau engineer took part in constructing of the bridge.

The constructing began on 12 August 1897. Félix Faure, the president of France was present at the ceremony. It was completed in 1903, by 200-year anniversary of Saint Petersburg.

Trinity Bridge drawn at night

Originally the bridge had nine spans: five permanent metallic riveted spans, with original for that time console-arch-beam system and gradual increasing span length from banks to the middle of the river. Three-arch granite viaduct comes from the right bank to them, and two-winged bascule span was located directly near the left bank, at that the wings were drawn in horizontal plane. The construction of spans, in which the girder of uncut type excesses more than one span, let substantially relive the central part of the arches, decrease river supports, put the span structures into shape of gentle arches. The bridge is decorated with cast iron gratings of artistic casting, granite pylons with lanterns and metallic three-colour lanterns in Modern style.

In 1955 artistic obelisks at the entrance to bridge from Suvorovskaya Square were partially reconstructed.

In 1965-1967, by the project of G. M. Stepanov and K. P. Klochkov engineers and Yu. I. Sinitsa architector, bascule span was reconstructed. It became one-winged and lifting. Its length was led to 43 meters of length and the appearance was approximated to other metal spans. Granite arch slope was set at the left bank. During the reconstruction water slopes were enlarged and granite benches were set along left bank abutment.