The long-standing need to create a transport connection between the northwestern regions of St. Petersburg and its central part was embodied in the large-scale construction of a toll highway called Western High Speed Diameter.
How it all began
The history of the development of the project began back in 1990, when the government of the USSR in its next decree on the prospects for state construction put it in the plan for the coming decade. For many years, the leaders of the Russian state now have not disregarded the issue of improving and developing the transport infrastructure of the Northern capital.
The beginning of construction work was laid in 2005. The construction of the highway is ongoing, with the phased introduction into operation of the finished sections of the track.
Highway Value
The result of many years of work will be a high-speed highway connecting the southern part of the city (Moscow and Kirov districts) with Vasilyevsky Island and the Primorsky District. The new road will remove the main transport load from the central part of St. Petersburg, as well as in the southern and northern parts of the city.
In accordance with the general plan, the Western high-speed diameter of St. Petersburg consists of three sections: Northern, Southern and Central. The total length of the transport system reaches forty-seven kilometers. Almost half of this length is occupied by bridge structures, viaducts and tunnels.
The uniqueness of construction sites
The presence of a large number of artificial structures was dictated by the features of the industrial infrastructure and landscape area in the area of the highway. In order not to violate the integrity of previously constructed facilities, as well as to demonstrate a respect for the green area, the architects of the project decided to build a significant part of the route on overpasses.
So far, nothing of the kind has been built in Russia. The leader in the field of innovative construction has become the Western High-Speed Diameter. St. Petersburg can rightfully be proud of modern facilities, which are likely to become new attractions of the Northern capital.
Some of the structures can be considered unique. This will be the cable-stayed bridge, under which the ship fairway passes. The length of the central span of the mentioned structure is more than three hundred meters. Another bridge crossing the Petrovsky fairway has a main span of two hundred and twenty meters long. At the intersection of the Sea Canal, work is underway on the construction of a four-hundred-meter bridge structure with two tiers.
Effective diameter sections
The first fragment of the Southern section was inaugurated in October 2008. He fully went into operation four years later. The southern section originates from the Ring Road and is connected to a traffic intersection on the embankment of the Ekaterinofka River.
The length of the Southern Highway is eight and a half kilometers. Almost two-thirds of the way is occupied by overpasses and bridges. This is the most critical segment of the diameter, supporting the intensity of the continuous flow of bulky transport in the direction of the Big Sea Port.
The western high-speed diameter was continued by the opening of the labor movement in the Northern section in August 2013. The ceremony was attended by the President of Russia. The length of the new route was over twenty-six kilometers - this is more than half of the total length occupied by the Western high-speed diameter. The traffic pattern runs from Primorsky Prospekt to the highway of international importance E-18 called "Scandinavia."
Central section of the track
As for the Central section, intensive construction work is currently underway. The western high-speed diameter on Vasilievsky Island will be laid along the border of the entire territory, connecting it with the Admiralteysky and Primorsky districts of St. Petersburg. The total length of the route is about twelve kilometers. This is the most technically difficult part of the project, since the construction of ten artificial structures is planned here. According to preliminary calculations, the launch of the Central thread is expected by early 2016.
Economic and technical indicators of the project
Western high-speed diameter is the largest European example of a partnership between public and private investors. As a result of the merger of cash flows, a budget was formed in excess of two hundred ten billion rubles. Half of them are budget funds, forty percent are money of private investors. The remaining ten percent was raised through the issuance of government loan bonds.
On various sections of the route, an arrangement of four to eight lanes is provided. The permitted maximum speed of automobile transport on the highway is 110 kilometers per hour. After the commissioning of all sections of the track, the expected throughput will be at least one hundred thousand cars.
Current fares
Western high-speed diameter is a toll road, the funds from which will be used to maintain the grandiose structure in the appropriate technical condition.
The existing sections of the diameter are divided into several tariff zones, in which the fare depends on the type of vehicle and time of day. For cars and small trucks, the price ranges from ten to forty rubles. Owners of heavy trucks must pay thirty to one hundred and thirty rubles.
Forms of payment
For the convenience of using travel, motorists are offered several forms of payment. Those who rarely travel on WHSD can buy a ticket for cash or pay by credit card.
Another payment option is to use contactless smart cards, which can be borrowed from the operator serving the highway. BSC can be anonymous or personified. Making the latter provides the user with a discount of ten percent. It is enough to regularly replenish the account on the map, and movement along the road will occur almost unhindered.
When regular freight traffic is carried out through the Western High Speed Diameter, the transponder becomes the most acceptable way of calculating. A special electronic device is mounted on the windshield of the vehicle and guarantees instant payment at the entrance to the highway. Transponders can be rented from an expressway operator. Permanent use of electronic means of payment provides reduced fares with a discount of up to twenty percent.
An active route is designed to help make St. Petersburg the largest transport interchange in Europe. After the complete commissioning of the entire line of the Western High Speed Diameter motorway, it can be safely put forward as a contender for the official title of a World Wonder of the Twenty-First Century.