Installation of Superstructure Girders is Completed at Lobnya – Sheremetyevo Airport Highway

Stroytransgaz Group is reconstructing a section of Lobnya – Sheremetyevo Airport highway. A key element of the renovated section is the bridge over the Meshcherikhа river. The installation of superstructure girders on the right side of the structure was completed In two days.

 The overhaul of the bridge across the Meshcherikha river is performed step by step so as not to interrupt the traffic. As part of the reconstruction, the old bridge is widened and replaced. To date, the right side lane of the 25 m structure has been dismantled. 358 m³ of new supports have been erected here, embankments are being made on the left and right sides of the bridge (496 m³ out of 4,377 m³ complete), the Meshcherikha river bed is stabilized using gabion structures* (99 m³ out of 248 m³).

*Gabion structures are metal mesh boxes filled with stones or broken bricks. They are used to stabilize steep slopes and river banks.

The installation of 7 superstructure girders on the right side has been completed today. All girders are solid 18m long and 1.23m high items with a 1.4m wide slab. Weighing 27 tons each, the girders were delivered at night so that not to interfere with the traffic.

The installation of the girders started immediately after delivery. First, slings were attached to a girder, then the girder was lifted directly from the truck and mounted on the supporting parts of the bridge using a cargo crane. Then the installers secured the girder with jack screws and other devices to prevent it from tipping over. After installation, other girders were welded to one another thus producing a structure resistant to overturning.

Next, the workers will proceed to girder concreting to produce a solid concrete surface. After that, approach slabs will be installed to connect the body of the bridge and the embankment, expansion joints will be installed and an asphalt concrete pavement will be installed.

After the asphalt concrete pavement on the right side of the bridge and road approaches is completely installed, the traffic will be temporarily bypassed via the repaired section. After that dismantling of the left side of the bridge will commence followed by its construction.

Also, at the reconstruction site asphalt concrete pavement is being laid on the main route near the bridge at a 600m long section with an area of 4,800 m² to bypass traffic, then a Lobnenskoye highway section will be reconstructed and pedestrian overpass 2 will be built.

As part of the project, to ensure road traffic safety, 4 pedestrian overpasses will be built, including ramps for baby carriages and wheelchairs and lifts for the disabled.

Work is now in progress at pedestrian overpass No. 3: a foundation from 54 piles, foundations of towers, stair approaches, phase 1 of tower walls, 164 m³ out of 485 m³ of stair approach poles have been installed. 42 plies of pile foundations of pedestrian overpasses Nos. 1 and 4 have been installed.

In addition, utilities are installed at the site; the reconstruction of sewers has been completed by 20%, communication lines by 45% and 0.4-10 kV cable lines by 32%.

For environmental protection purposes, 3 local treatment facilities (LTFs) will be built and the construction of LTF No. 2 has been completed. The installation of LTF No. 1 is at the final stage, with a disinfection filter package remaining to be installed. The construction of LTF No. 3 has just started.

About 229 workers and 41 units of machinery are engaged at the construction site on a daily basis.

The reconstruction project of Lobnya – Sheremetyevo Airport highway is implemented as part of road network development and transport accessibility improvement in Lobnya transportation district and nearby districts in view of extensive development of the residential and industrial areas. The work is commissioned by the Road Construction Office of the Moscow Region.

The project provides for increasing the number of lanes on the reconstructed section from 3 to 7. The reconstructed section will span 2.2 km along the main route of Lobnenskoye highway, 3.7 km along the side road approaches and ramps and 0.9 km along Sheremetyevskaya Street.

After the reconstruction, the average traffic speed on the main route will be about 80 km/h, 50 km/h on side road approaches, vehicle travel time will be no more than 10-15 minutes and the highway's traffic capacity will be 67,000 vehicles per day. The project is scheduled to complete in October 2022.