Trinity Bridge (Russian: Тро́ицкий мост) is a bascule bridge across the Neva in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It connects Kamennoostrovsky Prospect with Suvorovskaya Square. It was the third permanent bridge across the Neva, built between 1897 and 1903 by the French firm Batignolles. It is Template:M to ft long and Template:M to ft wide. Former names of the bridge are Equality Bridge (Russian: мост Ра́венства, 1918-1934), and Kirovsky Bridge (Russian: Ки́ровский мост, 1934-1999).
Trinity Bridge Тро́ицкий мост | |
|---|---|
 Trinity Bridge | |
| Coordinates | 59°56′55.51″N 30°19′38.66″E / 59.9487528°N 30.3274056°E |
| Carries | 4 lanes of roadway, tram lines |
| Crosses | Neva River |
| Locale | Saint Petersburg |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Segmental bridge, bascule bridge |
| Total length | 582 meters |
| Width | 24 meters |
| Longest span | 43 meters |
| History | |
| Opened | 1903, first half |
| Location | |
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History and construction
In 1803 the Voskresensky ponton bridge, which was built in 1786 near Voskresensky Prospected (now Chernyshevsky Prospect), was moved to the Summer Garden. In 1825, the ponton Suvorovsky Bridge was built to link Suvorovskaya Square with Troitskaya Square.
In 1892 a contest for constructing a permanent Troitsky Bridge was announced. There were 16 entrants from Russian and European engineers, including one from the French engineer Gustave Eiffel, the creator of the famous Eiffel tower in Paris. The winner was the out-of-competition design of V. Shabrol and R. Patulyar from the French Building Company Batignolles. Vital contributions to their proposal were provided by a number of Russian engineers. A special commission from the Imperial Academy of Arts, including Leon Benois also participated in the project.
Construction began on 12 August, 1897. Félix Faure, the president of France was present at the ceremony. The bridge was completed in 1903, in time for the 200-year anniversary of Saint Petersburg.
Originally the bridge had nine spans. Five of these were permanent metallic riveted spans, with novel console-arch-beam systems and gradually increasing span length from banks to the middle of the river. A three-arch granite viaduct linked the metallic central section to the right bank, and a two-winged bascule span joined it to the left bank. The design of the central spans, in which single uncut girders bridge more than one span, significantly relieves the stress on the central part of the arches, decreasing the support required in the river and giving the span structures a gentle arch shape. The bridge is decorated with cast iron gratings with artistic casting, granite pylons with lanterns and metallic three-colour lanterns in Modern style.
In 1955 artistic obelisks at the entrance to bridge from Suvorovskaya Square were partially rebuilt.
In 1965-1967 the bascule span was rebuilt as a one-winged, lifting design. Its length was extended to Template:M to ft and its appearance modelled on the other metal spans. A granite arch slope was set on the left bank. During the reconstruction water slopes were enlarged and granite benches were set along left bank abutment.
References
- Yuriy Vladimirovich Novikov et al, Mosty i naberezhnye Leningrada, Lenizdat : Saint Petersburg (Russia), ISBN 5-289-00690-7