Lena Bridge
Lena Bridge | |
|---|---|
 Site of the future bridge | |
| Coordinates | 61°47′N 129°41′E / 61.783°N 129.683°E |
| Carries | 2 lanes connecting A360 Lena Highway to Umnas Road |
| Crosses | Lena River |
| Locale | Yakutsk |
| Website | mostlena |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Cable-stayed bridge |
| Total length | 4.6 km (2.9 mi)..[1] |
| Width | 21 m (69 ft) |
| Height | 284.5 m (933 ft) |
| Longest span | 840 m (0.5 mi) |
| History | |
| Construction start | 2024 |
| Construction cost | ₽133 billion (expected) |
| Opening | 2028 (expected) |
| Location | |
The Lena Bridge (Russian: Мост через р. Лену, lit. 'Bridge over the Lena River') is a cable-stayed bridge under construction over the Lena River in the Sakha Republic in Russia. The bridge will connect the A331 highway to the Lena and Kolyma highways, linking the city of Yakutsk to the rest of the Russian road network. Upon the completion of the bridge, Russia will have year-round access to Yakutsk by road.
Design
The bridge is intended to connect the east and west bank of the Lena River, creating a connection between the Russian road network and the city of Yakutsk. Currently, Yakutsk cannot be reached by road year-round. In the winter, there is an ice road over the Lena, and in summer ferries must be used.[2] During parts of spring and fall, there is no access by road due to moving ice.[3] The bridge will connect the Russian Far East to the ports of the Sea of Okhotsk, creating an transport corridor linking Irkutsk to Magadan and developing Russia's northern economic axis.
The bridge will cross the river from the village of Staraya Tabaga to the village of Khaptagai.[4] Passenger cars will be able to cross free of charge, but a toll will be established for trucks.[5]
History
The project to connect the banks of the Lena near Yakutia originated in 1980, following the construction of the Baikal-Amur Mainline. Since 1986, three options for the location of the bridge have been considered. Finally a location was chosen at a distance of 38 km upstream on the Lena from Yakutsk, near the town of Nizhny Bestyakh. This option was justified by the proximity to the Amur-Yakutsk Mainline, which connects Nizhny Bestyakh to Berkakit.[6] Original plans for the bridge called for a combined road-rail bridge, but these plans were later shelved.[7]
In July 2013, the Federal Road Agency announced an open tender for a contract for the construction and operation of a road bridge on the Lena River in Yakutsk. The competition, officially announced on July 19, provided for the construction of a road bridge and its approaches of a total length greater than 21 kilometers. According to experts, the estimated cost of construction was no greater than 40 billion rubles. The winner of the concession was the consortium Transportnyje koncessii (Sakha).[6][8]
In November 2023, Vladimir Putin declared that the construction of the bridge would be completed by 2028.[9] The construction of the bridge began in October 2024, with drilling on the right bank of the Lena beginning in March 2025.[10][11] In 2025, the cost of construction was estimated to be around 133 billion rubles.[12]
References
- ^ https://mostlena.ru/
- ^ "Russia approves $1.3bn bridge to world's coldest city". Global Construction Review. 2019-11-19. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
- ^ "New rail link to world's coldest city opens – but there's a catch". The Independent. 2019-10-03. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
- ^ "Проектно-сметная документация Ленского моста в Якутии получила положительное заключение". TACC (in Russian). Retrieved 2024-12-16.
- ^ "FAQ". Ленский мост (in Russian). Retrieved 2025-07-17.
- ^ a b "История проекта моста через реку Лена в районе Якутска - ТАСС". TACC (in Russian). Retrieved 2024-06-14.
- ^ Panin, Alexander (2013-07-23). "Lena River Bridge to Provide Hope and Fruit". The Moscow Times. Retrieved 2025-07-20.
- ^ Якутия.Инфо, КП-Якутия. "СМИ: Власти Якутии снова перенесли сроки ввода Ленского моста". Yakutia.Info (in Russian). Retrieved 2024-06-14.
- ^ "Перечень поручений по итогам совещания по вопросам развития дальневосточных городов • Президент России". Президент России (in Russian). 2023-11-07. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
- ^ "First pile of future bridge across Lena river in Russia's Yakutia installed". interfax.com. Retrieved 2024-12-14.
- ^ Yakutia.Info. "Ленский мост: Начаты работы на правом берегу Лены". Yakutia.Info (in Russian). Retrieved 2025-03-27.
- ^ "Bridge across Lena to cut annual cost of Yakutia's winter supplies by $46 million". TASS. Retrieved 2025-07-17.
