Sergei Sobyanin: 12 overpasses to be finished in Moscow in 2014-2017

A new overpass has opened that crosses the Moscow Railway’s Paveletskaya Line, 7th km.

“Although relatively short, this overpass over the Paveletskaya Line of the Moscow Railway is important because people will now be able to walk to the Nagornaya metro station and also because it connects Verkhniye Kotly and Varshavskoye Motorway. It’s important, considering the large industrial area on the outer side of the Paveletskaya Line. Around 7,000 people work there. And it could potentially provide around 33,000 jobs. In addition, a small residential area for 3,000 people is being built there. In short, the overpass will bring this district new life,” Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said.     

The overpass  project was started in August 2014 and was completed two months ahead of schedule, in July 2016.

“Every year, commuter rail traffic in Moscow increases. We’re now almost ready to open the Smaller Moscow Belt Railway to passenger service. So, overpasses over the railway lines become even more important, and not just for vehicle traffic but pedestrian overpasses too,” Mr Sobyanin said.

These overpass projects over railway tracks are a crucial part of the programme to upgrade the city’s roads.

“A programme to build new overpasses over railway tracks is being carried out in the city. We launched twelve overpass projects simultaneously. Five of them are already in use. Six remain to be finished. They will be open over the next year and a half, I believe,” the Mayor added.

The former overpass that connected Elektrolitny Proyezd and Proyektiruyemy Proyezd No. 2147 had only one lane. It was torn down six years ago due to its poor condition. However, that didn’t prevent people from crossing the tracks at the same place.   

A 53 metre two-lane overpass has been built there. Vehicles now move in both directions and each lane has pavements for pedestrians.

In addition, some sections of Elektrolitny Proyezd and Proyektiruyemy Proyezd No. 2147, 2139 and 1819 were widened. A total of 1.2 km of road surface has been built or rebuilt.          

“A lot of work had been done to relocate communications, water and heating lines. The sewer system had been removed,” Yuri Artemyev, General Director of the Mostdorstroi company, explained.

Modern residential district instead of industrial zone

The grade level crossing at the 7th km of the Paveletskaya Line of the Moscow Railway provides access to and from industrial zone No. 33 Verkhniye Kotly from Varshavskoye Motorway. Thus, the new overpass helps ensure the safety of pedestrians crossing the tracks and makes the Nagornaya metro station more accessible. Also, new public transit routes have come to the district with a new elevated road, which offers additional cross-links between Sevastopolsky Prospekt and Varshavskoye Motorway, cutting the travel distance.

Improving transport accessibility is one of the key requirements for the reconstruction of industrial zone No. 33. The 111.5-hectare area between Varshavskoye Motorway, Krivorozhskaya Street and the Kotlovka River valley has many production facilities and utility sites. It also has the All-Russian Research Institute of Applied Physics and Automation of the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom).

Many of those production facilities are not being used for their intended purposes; some are outdated. Under the project, the industrial zone will be converted into a modern mix of public, business and industrial use. The project was approved in 2015.

Significantly, the area will maintain its production profile. The existing industrial buildings will be expanded and modernised.

Part of the territory will be occupied by a residential area located just near the Nagornaya metro station. It will have a school, a kindergarten, shopping malls, a church, a hotel, garages and retail and business centres. New blocks of flats are already being built. They will accommodate over 3,000 people. The number of jobs in the industrial area will grow from 7,600 to 33,000.

Construction of overpasses

The targeted investment programme adopted by the Moscow Government envisages the construction or reconstruction of 12 overpasses over railway lines. Besides the overpass at the 7th km of the Paveletskaya Line, other overpasses on the Leningradsky, Mozhaisky, Zvenigorodsky and Koptevsky railways have also been completed.

Construction is under way on the Bogorodsky and Volokolamsky overpasses. The motorway and tram line on the Volokolamsky overpass are partially open. Four new overpasses will be built in the Troitsky and Novomoskovsky administrative areas (in Peredelkino, Shcherbinka, Kryokshino and Kokoshkino) and one more – on the MKAD Ring Road (between 2nd Yuzhnoportovy Proyezd and Yuzhnoportovaya Street).