Nearly 400-meter overpass between Kamennaya Gorka and Lebyazhy promised to open by the end of the year
A bridge crossing over the railway tracks will directly connect the Frunzenski and Tsentralny districts of the capital and allow drivers to avoid detouring via the MKAD (Minsk Ring Road). Construction is already nearing completion; however, before traffic is opened, the structure will undergo rigorous testing.
The overpass will connect Kalesnikava and Timiryazeva streets and will become the first link of Minsk's third transport ring. Photo: "Minsk-Novosti"
The news agency "Minsk-Novosti" reports on the current stage of construction. According to Syarhey Rubchenya, director of the general contractor—Bridge Construction Directorate (MBU) No. 2 of "Mastabud"—the overall readiness of the facility is about 95%, although in the middle of summer it had not reached even half.
The length of the structure is 381 meters. It features 13 spans, where all 224 reinforced concrete beams have already been installed. With the exception of one short 18-meter span, 33-meter beams weighing over 60 tons each were used on the remaining ones. The piers are already fully erected, the beam deck structures are laid, and the bridge deck—which will include a leveling concrete layer and a protective asphalt concrete layer—is more than halfway completed.
Photo: "Minsk-Novosti"
Currently, the bridge builders are working on the upper sections of the overpass: laying asphalt concrete mixture and paving slabs, waterproofing the roadway deck, and installing railings and lighting masts. Of the 24 planned masts, five remain to be installed. Asphalt has already been laid and road markings applied on part of the crossing.
Photo: "Minsk-Novosti"
Photo: "Minsk-Novosti"
According to Syarhey Rubchenya, all cast-in-place concrete work will be completed on the site by the end of November, followed by the asphalt concrete work. However, traffic will not be permitted onto the overpass immediately afterward: first, it is necessary to obtain all regulatory permits, install dedicated sensors, and conduct load testing using multi-ton heavy equipment. This inspection is planned for the first half of December in order to open traffic by the end of 2026.
Photo: "Minsk-Novosti"
About 120 people are involved in the construction, working around the clock, with no days off or holidays. On peak days, the number of workers on the site reached 160. In addition to primary structural assembly, they carry out the full range of related work, including finishing and painting the structures.
Photo: "Minsk-Novosti"
Preparing the construction site required a significant amount of time due to the large number of utility networks running through the development boundaries and intersecting on various planes. Before commencing pier construction, the contractor needed to obtain permits from operating utility companies, purchase materials, excavate soil, lay new utility lines, and backfill them. As a result, the project covered not only the overpass itself, but also the relocation of storm drainage, heating pipelines, water supply lines, the overhead contact system on the railway tracks, and landscaping of the surrounding area.
The most critical stage was the section of the overpass spanning directly across the railway. As Syarhey Rubchenya explained, builders were allocated operational windows lasting only two hours each for work during the day and night, with these schedules strictly established in advance—70 days prior to the start of installation.
Photo: "Minsk-Novosti"
New off-ramps and continuation of the third ring
Simultaneously with the construction of the overpass, the adjacent road network was reconstructed. The bridge itself features three traffic lanes in each direction. From Timiryazeva Street, drivers will be able to exit the overpass and turn either left toward the MKAD or right toward the city center. On the Kalesnikava Street side, the scope of work was smaller: there, the ramp was connected to the existing road network, and traffic lights were installed at the nearest intersection.
This overpass will serve as the first connecting link of Minsk's third transport ring and is expected to relieve city streets along with the MKAD. The next step will be the construction of the second link of the ring—another overpass over the railway connecting Karzhaneuski and Chiurlionis streets. MBU No. 2 of "Mastabud" has already announced that they are ready to take on this project as well.