Sightseeing

BOLSHEOKHTINSKY BRIDGE A metal three-part bridge 334,3 meters long and 23,5 meters wide, the Bolshoi Okhtinsky bridge (known also as the Peter the Great bridge) crosses the river not far from the Smolny Institute, combines the modernist and Romanesque architectural styles in one structure and boasts an innovative electrical mechanical system of elevating the draw span quickly as well as the backup option that allowed for manpower to draw up the span in a period of 11 to 26 minutes. The history of the bridge dates back to the beginning of the 19th century, when in 1901 the commission. approved the daring plan of engineer G. Krivoshein and architect Apishkov, whose intention was to construct a permanent bridge with three separate spans and the middle span opening of only 14,6 meters, which was designed to rise up quickly (from a period of 30 seconds to two minutes) to allow sea vessels to pass through. The other two openings located on either side gaped to a width of 128.2 meters and were topped off with two awesomely arched double-jointed girders, which were extended to a length of 136 meters and allowed for pedestrian and automobile traffic too pass underneath. The first bridge of its kind in the Northern Capital, the Bolshoi Okhtinsky bridge was designed as a railroad bridge, adorned with two impressive granite towers built in the form of four-sided cubes capped off with lamps and it was opened for traffic on October 26, 1911.

Entry price