# Novosibirsk Rail Bridge

The Novosibirsk Rail Bridge is a single-track bridge across the Ob River, a component of the original Trans-Siberian Railway mainline, was designed by Nikolai Belelubsky and built between 1893 and 1897. Its location, selected by Nikolai Garin-Mikhailovsky near Krivoschekovo village (Russian: Кривощёково), is believed to have influenced Novosibirsk's founding.

## Selecting a place to cross the Ob River

Selecting a suitable location for a new bridge proved challenging. An initial plan to route the railway through Tomsk necessitated a bridge 55 km west, but frequent spring flooding of the Ob river at this site rendered it unsuitable. Civil engineer and writer Nikolai Garin-Mikhailovsky subsequently identified a viable alternative: a narrow, rocky section approximately 200 km southwest of Tomsk, near the present-day Novosibirsk, just north of the Salair Ridge.
In late August 1891, three high-ranking officials—Konstantin Mikhailovsky (Head of Railway Construction), Vladimir Berezin (State Counsellor, future contractor), and Vikenty Roetsky (Exploration Group Commander)—met in Big Krivoschekovo. Reviewing Roetsky's hydrographic data, they selected a bridge site near an existing cattle ford, thus finalizing the project location.

## Construction and initial design

For the design of the bridge, Professor Nikolai Belelubsky was called in. Belelubsky was instrumental in bridge design, making two vital discoveries in building materials. He demonstrated that domestically produced cement matched the quality of English cement, significantly reducing construction costs. Additionally, Belelubsky advanced the understanding of carbon steel's mechanical properties. In 1882, he became the first in Russia to advocate for using steel in railroad bridge construction, a practice not yet systematically adopted in Austria and cautiously approached in Germany due to contemporary technical limitations. After evaluating carbon steel’s physical and chemical properties, he concluded it was a more reliable material than the then-prevalent wrought iron. His innovations enabled the replacement of wrought iron with steel in bridges along the Trans-Siberian Railway and laid the groundwork for future international steel specifications.
Originally, the bridge superstructure was made up of nine bowstring arch through truss spans over the river channel with double lattice girders that measured 109-meter (358 ft.) in length. Precise alignment of top and floor cords, and their interconnecting web elements, was critical to the design. All components were open-hearth steel, manufactured at the Votkinsk Machine Building Plant (formerly Votkinsk ironworks) in Udmurtia under the supervision of the prolific contractor General V.I. Berezin. This plant, using open-hearth furnaces since 1871, historically supplied railway rails for Russia's vast network.
Belelubski also introduced a groundbreaking method called "free carriageway", which transformed traditional bridge engineering. This innovative technique involved the use of articulated support for the cross beams of the travel surface, integrating them into the lower trusses of the bridge spans. It not only bolstered the bridge's structural integrity but also enhanced operational efficiency by minimizing strain on the truss components. The design gained international acclaim, receiving the prestigious Gold Medal at the 1890 Edinburg Exposition, becoming recognized globally as the "Russian style of support".
The truss superstructure rested on masonry piers, reinforced upstream with triangular buttresses (cutwaters) to break up ice that floats downstream in spring. The clear head room was 17 metres (56 ft.) above mean high water.
The construction of the bridge was a substantial four-year project, costing approximately 2 million rubles. Completed in 1896, the structure underwent rigorous load testing to confirm its structural integrity. The bridge achieved operational readiness on March 31, 1897, with a successful inaugural run of four locomotives. Its design incorporated a pedestrian walkway with wooden sidewalks, though this was later closed, eliminating pedestrian access.
Civil engineer G.M. Budanov played a pivotal role in overseeing construction projects, notably recognizing the substantial contributions made by Nikolai Garin-Mikhailovsky to the development of railway sections, bridges, and stations. Budanov expressed deep appreciation for their collaborative spirit, highlighting Garin-Mikhailovsky's resourcefulness, talent, and intelligence, which markedly elevated both the quality of the projects and team morale. Their partnership exemplifies the importance of effective teamwork in achieving engineering excellence.

## Development and operation

The 'old' railway bridge across the Ob River in Novosibirsk, rendered less crucial after the 1930s completion of the Komsomolsk (Kimovsky) bridge and Novosibirsk freight bypass, primarily served passenger trains through the city center. Construction of a second span, comprising 15,700 metal elements (4,500 tons), atop the existing supports began in 1974 and concluded in April 1984 by Bridge Construction Crew No. 429. To remediate erosion at the bridge approach foundations, 78,000 m³ of soil was backfilled, and an access road exceeding one kilometer in length was constructed over this fill to the left abutment to facilitate material transport. Leningrad engineers assessed the existing bridge supports by conducting visual inspections, collecting samples, and drilling into both the support bodies and their rock foundations. Findings confirmed the supports' suitability for a new railway bridge superstructure. However, the USSR Ministry of Railways opted to construct a new bridge, demolishing the existing structure deemed inadequate for modern heavy rail traffic, as it was originally designed for smaller engines and lighter railcars.
The engineering design for the new bridge was undertaken by Giprotransput Institute, a leading Russian design institute specializing in transport infrastructure. A significant factor influencing the design was the operational commissioning of the Novosibirsk Hydroelectric Power Station. This event resulted in a substantial alteration of the Ob River's hydrological regime within the city of Novosibirsk, specifically the near elimination of the annual spring ice drift. This environmental modification rendered previously necessary ice protection structures on bridge piers, notably cutwaters, obsolete for the new bridge project. Previously, these structures would have been essential to mitigate the significant loads imposed by moving ice during the spring thaw. However, with the ice drift effectively eliminated, the design parameters for the bridge piers were fundamentally altered.
In the first phase of bridge construction, seven reinforced concrete piers were erected, leveraging the existing foundations of the original cutwaters. Two abutment piers were also constructed to anchor the bridge to the shoreline. Subsequently, the 100-meter span steel superstructure trusses were erected using a cantilever erection technique, proceeding sequentially from pier to pier. This process involved cranes strategically positioned to operate along the top chords and within the open bays of the trusses, facilitating the assembly and placement of individual truss members.
Traffic ceased on the aging structure in 1991, with dismantling commencing in 2000. Its successor, completed in the early 2000s, represents a notable advancement in bridge construction techniques. The new bridge's construction leveraged high-strength bolting for its superstructure, significantly accelerating the assembly process. A key innovation was the employment of a novel construction method eliminating the need for both auxiliary scaffolding and floating support structures – a first for Novosibirsk. The project's estimated cost was 8 million rubles. However, while functionally superior in terms of speed of construction and likely structural integrity, the new bridge's aesthetic qualities have been criticized. The replacement structure, described as "more powerful and larger," is considered inferior to its predecessor, a structure which served the Great Siberian Railway reliably for nearly a century.
The recent rehabilitation of the bridge has transitioned the structure to a single-track configuration. All existing trusses have been removed as part of this project. Importantly, the existing piers and abutments have been retained, preserving the infrastructure necessary for a future expansion to a double-track configuration. This proactive approach minimizes future disruption and capital expenditure should increased capacity be required.
A portion of the original superstructure remains in situ, integrated into the city's riverside promenade. This serves as a unique historical exhibit, offering a tangible link to the bridge's past and showcasing the evolution of its design. The preservation of this element enhances the promenade aesthetic appeal and provides a point of public interest.