Kuandinsky Bridge — The most terrible and dangerous bridge in Russia
Tags: Travel, Baikal, Bridge, Tourism, Siberia

Kuandinsky Bridge — The most terrible and dangerous bridge in Russia arcada Follow May 3 · 5 min read

Kuandinsky bridge — the worst crossing in Russia.

Around the world, thrill-seekers are offered to walk on a glass bridge at a height of several hundred meters or ride along a cliff on a mountain road. But, perhaps, no emotions can not be compared with when you cross the road bridge in Transbaikalia across the Vitim river. Dilapidated structure, you see, is about to fall apart, and meanwhile, the bridge for almost 40 years in this state passes through the machine.

The village of Kuanda was once called the «Small capital of BAM». The village arose during the construction of the Baikal-Amur mainline in January 1981, built by builders from the Uzbek SSR. In Kuanda the fall of 1984 was the «Golden dock» BAM — laying Golden link in connecting the Western and Eastern sections of highway celebrations on the dock. To date, it has about 1,300 inhabitants. The village has a railway station, a hospital, a post office, a club, a library, a kindergarten, a hostel, a boarding school, where children of Evenks-reindeer herders and hunters from other villages of the Kalar district study and live.

The Kuanda bridge is the only road to Kuanda. The crossing, 570 meters long, was repeatedly called»the most dangerous bridge in Russia». It was built in 1982 for temporary operation during the construction and maintenance of the Baikal-Amur mainline. According to documents, the bridge since the Soviet Union is unattended, because it was built as a temporary structure in the maintenance of construction BAM. As a result, the maintenance and repair of the structure has never been financed by anyone, the bridge was hastily repaired by the drivers themselves, who use this dangerous crossing at their own risk. In 2016, the court ordered the district authorities to close the bridge, but the inhabitants of village Kuanda, for which he was the only road link with the outside world, continued to ride it until 12 may 2018, the ice flow partially destroyed the crossing, completely flush one of the pillars of the already flimsy construction, resulting road surface superimposed on a frame of wooden sleepers sagged and deformed..After the collapse of reliance power is fully blocked the emergency bridge, on the approaches to it dumped huge piles of rubble to block passage and put up picket lines, preventing pedestrian traffic on a dangerous path. Residents of Kuanda were cut off from road communication with the outside world.

Repair or reconstruction of Kuandinsky bridge found to be meaningless due to the actual unsuitability of the footings and topography. The new bridge over the Vitim river is only in the distant plans.

What… According to the sad saying «there Is nothing more permanent than temporary», pickets in a couple of months of duty was removed, piles of gravel rolled away — though they are clearly visible, but passable for all-wheel drive vehicles with high clearance. During the winter, locals and drivers who use the crossing, patched emergency bridge and again from despair are a dangerous emergency road.

Next to the rickety old structure is a sturdy railway bridge. Now on it to Kuanda three times a day runs a locomotive that can deliver goods, and if necessary, it can be attached to a platform for transporting cars. In addition, fire safety is provided by fire stations in the cut-off village, as well as in the Buryat Taksimo, from where a fire train can be sent to Kuanda.

…There is nothing more eternal than temporary. For almost 40 years, Kandinsky bridge Shuttle back and forth to the car, but the design was not officially commissioned. At the base of the bridge just laid sleepers, which are almost not fixed to each other. Very often during movement of the car sleepers «walk», and drivers in the course have to stack boards to close the formed holes.

Nevertheless, every year more and more tourists go in that direction. Near the village there is a Kandinsky the bridge — a local landmark. But, not everyone risks to ride on it. Fans of extreme car travel seek to conquer this terrible and dangerous bridge while it still exists!

P.S. Yes, this is the place to get it to conquer the dangerous bridge on your car is very difficult. Usually tourists pass this bridge in the car expeditions on the prepared off-road route along the route of the legendary Baikal-Amur mainline, to start your difficult way from the Northern port of the famous Grand lake Baikal town of Severobaikalsk (and to visit it and the surrounding area I definitely recommend to everyone), then the route via railway station Yanchukan and Severomuisk to the village of Kuanda. Most expeditions way of the winter — despite the cold winter and spring it is easier to overcome numerous water obstacles, and the roads themselves-the snowfields in winter smoother and easier. And warm up on the way to help hot springs! After the assault Kandinsky bridge of the expedition are sent on to the station Chara, to visit the severe, but absolutely wonderful and magical place «Charskie Sands» — the most Northern deserts of Eurasia (I’m sure later I will leave a note about this place and put it here additionally the link to it). Also from the village of Chara go Hiking routes, tourists wishing to conquer a popular tourist route in the Kadar mountain range. Such expedition routes often include visits to interesting historical sites associated with the sad pages of Stalin’s repressions. Abandoned prison camps, preserved uranium mine-very interesting. As I said, I will try to write about it soon.

…a more complete understanding of Kandinsky bridge you can make viewing these videos:

Google map of Transbaikalia, the bridge is near the pointer Vitim. Then the road leads to The Chara Sands near the railway station Chara in the upper left corner of the map: