Alexander Nevsky Bridge

The stream crossing in this place of the Neva River was planned as far back as the 30s of the 19th century. By the end of the 50s on the right bank of the Neva River large-scale housing construction was developed. Leningrad, already rebuilt after the war, quickly grew in breadth. Residential areas appeared on the Okhta River. Development of new areas on the site of Petrovsky powder depot, in the district of Piskarevka, Polyustrovo, Rzhevka, was carried out at full strength.

The new bridge across the Neva River was extremely necessary to solve transportation problems in Leningrad. The city authorities called construction of crossing the "urban planning task of special importance".

The bridge derived its name from the located nearby – the Alexander Nevsky Monastery and Square, named in honour of the great Russian commander Alexander Nevsky, who won a historic victory over the Swedes on the banks of the Neva River in 1240.

In 1959 the city competition was declared to the best design of a bridge across the Neva River near the Alexander Nevsky Square.

In 1960-1965, a new bridge over the Neva River with traffic interchanges on both banks of the river on two levels, was built. The bridge was designed by engineers of Lengiprotransmost.

Bridge is a 7-span reinforced concrete structure with an adjustable span in the middle and ramps on both sides. It is the longest bridge in St. Petersburg. Fixed spans are covered by three-span continuous stiffening girders with anchorage on an intermediate support. Steel ropes d = 70mm, representing a bundle of wires, are used as a truss reinforcement. Open truss reinforcement allows ropes tightening while in operation. It is the only bridge in St. Petersburg where such type of reinforcement is used.

In a cross section draw span structure consists of 4 main beams. When closed - cantilever beam. The size of the draw span in the clear is 50.0 meters, and a height is of 11.0 meters. This is the highest bridge over the Neva River within the City.

The sidewalk is separated from the roadway: on fixed spans and ramps – with granite curb, and on the draw span – with metal one.

With the construction of the bridge a problem of traffic intersections have been resolved on both banks of the Neva River. On the left bank redevelopment of Alexander Nevsky Square was made. In place of the Kalashnikov warehouses a new area before the bridge with new interchanges was created. Obukhovskoy Oborony Prospect which passes under the bridge span shore was extended. The existed railway path was transferred to the embankment of the Neva River and passed under the bridge. On the right bank the area before the bridge is bounded by two passages - Zanevsky Proezd and Malo-Okhtinsky Proezd, which also goes under the bridge span along the embankment of the Neva River.

Since June 2000 the bridge was under reconstruction. In 2000-2001 steel wire ropes (12 km) and waterproofing were replaced. The work was done from December 10, 2000 to April 2001.

On March 14, 2014 Lensvet completed the reconstruction of illumination of Alexander Nevsky Bridge. Along the perimeter of the crossing 760 LED spotlights, directed at the 110-meter reinforced concrete spans, are installed. Power of the equipment is 51.7 kW.