Moscow-Riga Railroad Bridge - History and Specifications

History and Specifications

Construction of Moscow Canal (1932-1938) required building a new railroad bridge on a track running over the lower chamber of Lock No.8., near Shchukino village, which at this time was far out of city limits. Tram service to Shchukino was built soon afterwards (1938), urban development began in 1960s.

The bridge is 200.8 metre long, 20.0 metres high. The main span is 120 metres long, 17.5 metres high, a simple Mayard box profile with 4.1 metre span between side walls (equals distance between track centres). The upper and lower walls of the box are 9.5 and 8.06 metres wide. Inside, the arch box has diaphragm braces (0.3 meters thick, 4.1 metres spacing) with corresponding vertical beams on the outer wall. Each arch stands on concrete foundations (34.3 by 19.2 metres each), supported by 992 wooden piles. The upper deck rests on concrete girders (one for each track), 3.5 metres high, width varied from 0.5 to 0.7 metres.

This bold bridge has become an icon of pre-World War II soviet propaganda, including a postage stamp (January 1941) and movie appearances. According to most recent studies (1990), the bridge is structurally safe and sound, although its unpainted concrete may look rusty at close inspection.