Moscow-Riga Railroad Bridge
Encyclopedia
Moscow-Riga Railroad Bridge is a concrete
arch bridge
that spans Moscow Canal
between Tushino
and Shchukino District
s in northwestern Moscow
, Russia
. The bridge does not have an official name and is sometimes styled as Railroad bridge over Moscow Canal. It was completed in 1936, designed by A.S.Bachelis.
No.8., near Shchukino village, which at this time was far out of city limits. Tram
service to Shchukino was built soon afterwards (1938), urban development began in 1960s.
The bridge is 200.8 metre long, 20.0 metres high. The main span is 120 metres long, 17.5 metres high, a simple Mayard box profile with 4.1 metre span between side walls (equals distance between track centres). The upper and lower walls of the box are 9.5 and 8.06 metres wide. Inside, the arch box has diaphragm braces (0.3 meters thick, 4.1 metres spacing) with corresponding vertical beams on the outer wall. Each arch stands on concrete foundations (34.3 by 19.2 metres each), supported by 992 wooden piles. The upper deck rests on concrete girders (one for each track), 3.5 metres high, width varied from 0.5 to 0.7 metres.
This bold bridge has become an icon of pre-World War II
soviet propaganda, including a postage stamp (January 1941) and movie appearances. According to most recent studies (1990), the bridge is structurally safe and sound, although its unpainted concrete may look rusty at close inspection.
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
arch bridge
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...
that spans Moscow Canal
Moscow Canal
The Moscow Canal , named the Moscow-Volga Canal until the year 1947, is a canal that connects the Moskva River with the main transportation artery of European Russia, the Volga River. It is located in Moscow itself and in the Moscow Oblast...
between Tushino
Tushino
Tushino is a former village and town to the north of Moscow, which has been part of the city's area since 1960. Between 1939 and 1960, Tushino was classed as a separate town. The Skhodnya River flows across the southern part of Tushino....
and Shchukino District
Shchukino District
Shchukino is a district in the North-Western Administrative Okrug, Moscow, Russia.-Geography:It borders in south with Pokrovskoye-Streshnevo District, east with Strogino District, north with Khoroshevo-Mnevniki District and West on the boundary between North-Western Administrative Okrug and...
s in northwestern Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. The bridge does not have an official name and is sometimes styled as Railroad bridge over Moscow Canal. It was completed in 1936, designed by A.S.Bachelis.
History and specifications
Construction of Moscow Canal (1932-1938) required building a new railroad bridge on a track running over the lower chamber of LockLock (water transport)
A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is...
No.8., near Shchukino village, which at this time was far out of city limits. Tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
service to Shchukino was built soon afterwards (1938), urban development began in 1960s.
The bridge is 200.8 metre long, 20.0 metres high. The main span is 120 metres long, 17.5 metres high, a simple Mayard box profile with 4.1 metre span between side walls (equals distance between track centres). The upper and lower walls of the box are 9.5 and 8.06 metres wide. Inside, the arch box has diaphragm braces (0.3 meters thick, 4.1 metres spacing) with corresponding vertical beams on the outer wall. Each arch stands on concrete foundations (34.3 by 19.2 metres each), supported by 992 wooden piles. The upper deck rests on concrete girders (one for each track), 3.5 metres high, width varied from 0.5 to 0.7 metres.
This bold bridge has become an icon of pre-World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
soviet propaganda, including a postage stamp (January 1941) and movie appearances. According to most recent studies (1990), the bridge is structurally safe and sound, although its unpainted concrete may look rusty at close inspection.