The city of Yekaterinburg is one of the largest industrial cities of the Russian Federation. It has developed heavy industry, engineering and other industries. The village itself is located on two banks of the Iset River. Therefore, since the 18th century, there have been four reservoirs in the city that were separated by dams. In the process of growth of city-forming enterprises and the population, the construction of bridges became necessary conditions for the further development of the city.
The longest city bridge
Where is the Makarovsky bridge in Yekaterinburg? On Chelyuskintsev Street, connecting the right and left banks of the Iset River, in the area of the Yeltsin business center and, on the other hand, in the area of the Sverdlovsk Railway. This is the most important artery of the village, both in past centuries and today. The bridge is the longest in the whole city. Its length is 242.2 meters and a width of 24 meters. The maximum height of the structure is 10.5 meters.
Several names in 137 years
Makarovsky bridge (Yekaterinburg) was originally called Krivtsovsky. At that time, the head of the city was Vasily Krivtsov. Part of the financing of the first construction was from the state treasury, but also merchants and other wealthy people gave money for its construction. Despite the fact that the mayor did not allocate the largest amount of money, nevertheless the bridge was named in his honor.
The second name Makarovsky bridge in Yekaterinburg received at the end of the XIX century - "Simanovsky." In 1884, merchant Simanov I. (later the head of the city) built a mill on the shore near the bridge, and a little later invested in the restoration of the bridge, which is why it was renamed in honor of the benefactor. But there is another version that the merchant did not repair, did not give money to repair it, and the bridge was renamed due to the appearance on the shore of the Simanovskaya mill.
The third renaming took place in 1904, then Simanov went bankrupt, and his mill was put under the hammer. The new owners of the enterprise were the Makarov brothers, in whose honor the crossing was renamed.
An interesting fact: the Makarov bridge in Yekaterinburg has an official name - “the bridge along Chelyuskintsev Street”, but no one calls it that. This name was given in 1934 when they renamed Severnaya Street to Chelyuskintsev, in honor of the polar explorers who were driving through the city.
First construction
An urgent need for a crossing appeared in 1878. In those years, a mining railway appeared in the city. Construction began only in 1881. It was a wooden narrow structure on which only pedestrians and horse-drawn carriages could move. However, people no longer had to make a detour to get to the railway station.
Naturally, connecting the two shores already at that time of a large city, the wooden bridge could not last long. By the end of the 19th century, the need for restoration of the crossing was overdue. In 1904, after the change of local authority, the post of head of the city was occupied by the merchant I. Simanov, the bridge was being renovated. It still remains wooden, but already able to withstand the increased flow of wagons and people.
Soviet period
When trams appeared and a decision was made to draw a line to the other side of the river, the question arose of re-equipping the Makarov bridge of Yekaterinburg. Reinforced concrete ferry was already required. The project was undertaken by the Moscow Institute, the document was approved in 1953. In 1954, construction began, and in 1959, not only cars and pedestrians, but also trams moved across the bridge.
Subsequent modernization
In 2015, once again, the Makarovsky bridge of Yekaterinburg was reconstructed. In each direction, the number of bands was increased, from one to two. A parapet fence 80 centimeters high was erected, and the sidewalks were laid out with concrete slabs, the railing was replaced.
But the story of the Makarovsky bridge of Yekaterinburg does not end there. In 2017, a large-scale reconstruction began, which will take place in several stages. The work of the first stage is planned to be completed in 2 years, while the crossing will not be completely closed.
At the first stage, a third of the bridge is disassembled, and all traffic is transferred to the other side. Accordingly, the second stage - all work is carried out on the opposite side, and the movement is transferred to the upgraded part of the bridge. Due to the sidewalks for pedestrians, the bridge will receive one lane in each direction. As a result, after the repair of two parts, the bridge will be connected into a single crossing. And temporarily, the “understudy” of the Makarov bridge is put into operation. Despite the fact that the first stage is completed, all residents and guests of the city need to follow the announcements: periodically, traffic on the bridge will be completely blocked.