The tunnel near Amur, the photo of which is in this article, is the Khabarovsk secret civil-military structure. Its characteristics are unique. The tunnel is the only such underwater facility in Russia. The strategic strength of the structure has not been tested. And the tunnel is used in modern times for peaceful purposes.
Background
Plans for the construction of a railway transport structure arose at the beginning of the twentieth century. The tunnel was planned to be built near Amur. In 1906, measurements and studies were carried out. Based on these works, several projects of an underwater tunnel and a bridge over a river appeared.
The projection drawing was presented at the exhibition of the Amur Region in Khabarovsk. The event was dedicated to the anniversary of the Romanov dynasty - the centenary. The projection drawing depicted a train traveling under water. But the project to build a bridge across the Amur River was chosen as the most relevant.
Classification of the structure
In 1930 large construction began in the Far East. This led to an increase in cargo flow along the Trans-Siberian Railway. The railway, which was built in the 19-20 centuries., Expansion was required. And in April 1920, bridge spans were blown up by partisans to block the way for the Japanese. The Trans-Siberian Railway was torn for five years. The Far East was cut off from Siberia and Russia. And the railway passed through Manchuria.
Therefore, it was decided to build a tunnel under the Amur, as the bridge turned out to be very vulnerable due to the military threat from Japan. The future underwater structure was immediately classified and received the number 4 of the NKPS. Therefore, for a long time this object was not known.
Preparation for construction
Before the construction of the underwater tunnel, a special expedition from Soyuztransproekt left for Khabarovsk. The list of researchers included specialists from the Metroproject and the Kuibyshev Military Academy. The construction site initially had a network of survey points. These are metal grades in concrete monoliths.
The work was carried out by three independent teams. If one of them had deviations from the plan, then all three of the surveyors made corrections. Then the following experts - mine surveyors, worked on the surface. And the axes of the underwater tunnel were laid, tied to stamps.
All work was carried out at a fast pace - in just five months. During the approval of the route, 9 options were considered. Academician Vedeneev and the Metroproekt Institute were involved in the design. Finally, an air defense option was approved. The construction was to be built half a kilometer from the bridge. The railway tunnel near Amur in Khabarovsk was finally approved in March 1938.
Start of construction of a secret facility
According to the decree of the government, in 1937 the construction of the secret structure began, which was called "object number 4". At that time, often work began without a general estimate and development of technical projects. And the construction of the tunnel was no exception. The technical design and general estimate were sent to the facility later - in May 1939. 294.5 million rubles were to be spent on the construction of the underwater tunnel. The construction was planned to be commissioned in late 1939.
Who was involved in the construction?
In 1937, tunneling began. It was made by fifteen different construction organizations. Were involved in the work and military engineering units. The tunnel under Amur was built under the leadership of the People's Commissar of Railways of the Soviet Union L. M. Kaganovich. Responsible for facility No. 4 was appointed N. A. Ermolaev. He also became the chief engineer. Ermolaev led all construction work until their completion.
The installation of all ground facilities and the preparation of crushed stone were carried out by railway troops. For the construction of the tunnel, 900 Metrostroy workers with the main specialized professions were seconded to the facility. The head of the specialists was appointed I. D. Gotsiridze. Civilians helped build the tunnel. Prisoners worked in the quarries. In total, 5,500 people a year participated in the creation of the tunnel.
Trunks and main axis gasket
Before the construction of the railway tunnel under the Amur River, four shaft shafts were first laid. Manufactured shields descended down to the ground to the design level. Each obstacle was under the scrutiny of three surveying teams. They performed the laying of the main axis of the underwater structure, focusing on the design points.
Features of the construction of driving
Driving was difficult, high precision was required. The underwater tunnel was built not from coast to coast, in a straight line, but along a curve, moreover, complicated even vertically. Axes could not coincide no more than five centimeters. A larger deviation from the norm was not allowed. And thanks to the coordinated and accurate work of specialists, the underwater tunnel under Amur had failures of no more than fifteen millimeters.
The construction of the tunnel was complicated by the fact that in some places the adit was heavily flooded. But, despite this, the speed of the elongation of the hole was almost five meters daily. For those times, these rates were unprecedented for the whole world. At the same time, penetration was done with non-mechanized shields. During construction, almost 1.5 million cubic meters of soil were excavated and 137.6 thousand cubic meters of concrete were pumped out.
Change in construction time
In June 1941, the assembly of the tunnel was completed. In those days, at least six months were required before the complete completion of work. But a telegram from the State Defense Committee signed by Stalin came to the object. The message contained an order to let the trains through the underwater tunnel as soon as possible. The work was accelerated to the limit. Finally, scaffolding was dismantled, as well as temporary access roads. Workers poured 8,000 cubic meters of rubble into the ballast. And the main path was prepared. The tunnel near Amur in Khabarovsk was ready for work.
Tunnel opening for operation
Stalin specifically designated the period after which the construction was supposed to go into operation - 06/20/1941. The builders had time, on that date the first staff rode along the underwater tunnel, in which there were workers and superiors. The train was driven by engineer V. Wozheiko.
04/25/1942 a commission from the government accepted the tunnel into operation on an ongoing basis. At the same time, inspectors rated the construction as good, and the work of surveyors - excellent. The length of the tunnel under Amur was 7198 meters. For normal operation, it was equipped with heating, ventilation and lighting. Clearly set water pumping, barrage and warning alarms.
On the eastern side of it there are three faces, which were made in an open way on a site with a length of 1350 m. The inner diameter of the underwater part of the tunnel is 7400 mm. The eastern part of the structure was within the boundaries of Khabarovsk, the western - near the station Post-Pokrovsky.
In those days, the tunnel was built at the level of the most advanced military technologies. The construction had a large margin of safety. It has 7 ventilation shafts. One is on the island, the rest is on both banks of the Amur. Therefore, the tunnel was preserved for decades. Moreover, it is still in working condition.
The times of the Great Patriotic War
During the Second World War, all the entrances and approaches to the underwater tunnel were carefully guarded. For this, besides roadblocks, anti-aircraft batteries were installed. One of them was located on the banks of the Frenzied Canal. The battery fighter Lelikov later said that from the post there was a message about an unknown plane, which was heading towards the bridge. An alarm sounded, the anti-aircraft battery was immediately loaded with warheads.
After a short time, the plane appeared in sight. Perhaps he was looking for the entrances to the tunnel under the Amur. At first the plane was tracked by observers. But the aircraft, not reaching the accessible firing range of the "anti-aircraft guns", turned towards Manzhou-Guo. The combat weapon needed to be defused. Therefore, from the anti-aircraft gun then one shot was nevertheless made.
Operation of the submarine tunnel during the war years
From 1944 to 1945, mainly goods destined for the war with Japan were transported through the tunnel. Then the submarine railway was adapted to pass military units and all types of vehicles. When the fighting ended, the tunnel was mothballed as a secret facility. The railway tunnel near Amur was guarded by armed fighters with dogs.
The use of the tunnel in the postwar years
Since 1960, the submarine railway began to be used to transport various cargoes in order to increase the capacity of the Amur bridge. Since the tunnel has only one path, the movement was directed only in one direction - in a westerly direction. In 1980, the electrification of the Far Eastern Railway Khabarovsk-Bira was completed. After that, passenger trains, including suburban ones, began to ride along the tunnel.
Tunnel in modern time
In modern times, the railway tunnel near Amur requires major repairs. The facility has been heavily used for fifty years. The tunnel is a unique object that must be preserved. At the time of construction, the construction was the longest underwater railway in the world.
Despite the fact that the tunnel needs major repairs, the facility remains as safe and reliable as before. Train traffic is uninterrupted. And small defects do not violate the integrity of the tunnel. In 2009, the reconstruction of the Amur bridge was carried out. Since that year, it has two paths.
The tunnel under Cupid for a long time exploitation began to collapse. In many places a small leak appeared. The trunks of the mines began to rot. More and more debris and ballast are accumulating in the tunnel. A change in the dimensions of the structure is required. And now the builders plan to overhaul the unique underwater tunnel. Therefore, reconstruction projects are already being prepared. In the near future, a grand repair will take place, which will correct the situation for the better.