On October 10, 2009, a new bridge across the Volga was pompously opened in Volgograd, which connected the center of the hero city with the left bank, where the settlements of the Sredneakhtubinsk region of the region are located. The inhabitants of the agglomeration have been waiting for this event for decades. After all, it was possible to get to that shore only by ferry or through the dam of the Volga hydroelectric station, having spent a lot of time. But after some seven months something happened - a new bridge started to dance. And to be more precise, he caught the resonance and went in waves. People were in a panic.
Construction history
Build the much-needed city-millionaire bridge began in 1996. For this, hundreds of houses were even demolished, which prevented the construction of the building. But due to financial problems in the region, construction of the century was completed only after 13 years. According to experts, the project cost amounted to approximately 12 billion rubles.
The day the bridges start dancing
On May 20, 2010, the bridge began to blow waves due to strong winds. It was immediately blocked to avoid tragedies, and local residents began to discuss a miracle. And to say that corruption is to blame. Like, the bridge was built with violations, so he began to dance.
All crossings through large rivers sway a little. But this one, of course, broke all records. The amplitude of vertical vibrations then amounted to about 50-60 centimeters, despite the fact that such structures of the beam type are not subject to them. Surprisingly, the asphalt, railings and all other structures of the dancing bridge did not even deform. It is still not known for certain how something like this is possible.
Video with a dancing bridge scattered across social networks and forums in two ways. And a few days later his nickname became a household name.
How to prevent regular dancing
Although the first dance of the bridge did not lead to destruction and casualties, all efforts were thrown to prevent a recurrence of what happened. A year later, the structure was strengthened with special vibration dampers - multi-ton dampers, and everything returned to normal. But the legend of the dancing bridge in Volgograd went far beyond the region and even Russia. Many foreign media outlets spoke about this event. And during the World Cup (2018), tourists strolled around this building and took selfies as a keepsake.
Dancing bridge today
Currently, the construction is an integral part of the life of Volgograd residents and residents of neighboring areas. It is one of the longest bridges in Russia and is located in 11th place - its length is slightly more than 2.5 kilometers. And in 2017, the building gained a second life - a lot of LED lights were installed on the gray poles.
Every evening, residents of both banks and motorists can watch a colorful light show - the bridge shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow, then goes out, then it is filled with white lights. And all this beauty, reflecting on the surface of the water, adds to the spectacle an even greater pomp.