Specifications
The dam was constructed across the Gulf of Finland, with the island of Kotlin (Kronstadt) at its centre. It extends for 25.4 km (15.8 mi) and stands 8 m (26 ft) above water level. It has two large openings for shipping, which can be closed when floods threaten. Construction began in 1980 and stalled in the political and economic upheavals of the 1990s. The main benefit that most people cite is not flood control but rather improved traffic flow, as the dam completes the Saint Petersburg Ring Road.
Read more about this topic: Saint Petersburg Dam