Malyn Bridge reopens, thanks to Estonian support
On March 6, 2022, the Russian army bombed the Malyn Bridge, destroying one of the Zhytomyr Region’s primary transport hubs. Today, the bridge reopens.
The 152-metre Malyn Bridge spans the Irsha River and connects the road running north and south to Zhytomyr. This connection has been completely restored thanks to the combined efforts of Estonia and Ukraine.
The bridge restoration came to a total cost of 2.8 million euros, of which Ukraine paid 1.8 and Estonia one million. After being closed for 18 months, the Malyn Bridge was reopened by Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, Acting CEO of the Estonian Center for International Development (ESTDEV) Andrea Kivi, Head of the Military Administration of the Zhytomyr Region Vitalii Bunechko, First Deputy Chief of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oleksandr Kornienko, and Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Oleksii Kuleba.
“Reconstruction of the Malyn Bridge is another great example of Estonia’s efforts to rebuild Ukraine. We continue supporting the people of Ukraine as long as it takes because they are fighting for the freedom and security of all of us,” said Margus Tsahkna, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia.
“The Malyn Bridge stands for something beyond concrete and steel. This bridge connects communities and promotes development and growth. It symbolises our faith in Ukraine’s future and stands as a sign of the strength of the relationship between Estonia and Ukraine,” said Andrea Kivi, Acting CEO of ESTDEV.
Ukraine began the bridge restoration in June 2022 by announcing a public tender for a general contractor. PBC Limited won the tender and started construction on September 1, 2022.
Kivi added, “The restoration of the Malyn Bridge is a prime example of Ukraine’s cooperation with a donor country. The military administration of the Zhytomyr Region organised tenders for the capital overhaul of the bridge and signed the contracts. The construction work was completed within a year.”
The entire structure had to be overhauled. The main beams of the bridge structures were replaced, existing support posts repaired, and a monolithic slab foundation was poured. The bridge was made wider to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists on paths on either side of the bridge. For added safety, barriers were replaced and new lighting was installed.
“For this project, we must highlight the speed of the work, which was made possible by using factory-made elements. We had a good opportunity to observe the construction of this bridge from the sidelines, and we saw with our own eyes that bridge construction in Ukraine is carried out at a highly professional level,” commented project consultant and bridge expert Andreas Papp from Stricto OÜ.
In Ukraine, nearly 350 bridges have been destroyed due to the war. To date, nearly half have been restored.
Click here to see the photo album of the opening.
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