On a small island of land, reclaimed from Ovchinnikova Street and surrounded on both sides by residential skyscrapers, a new life begins. Specialists meticulously measure the space and establish marks for drilling. Special teams wait in the wings throughout the site. And the drilling rig makes the first holes along the perimeter of the future well. Taking into account that the excavation at this point is planned to a depth of 11 meters, the walls of the well will be supported by piles the height of a five-story building.
“From here, the tunnels will head north, turning towards Elkina Street and entering Revolution Square,” says Vitaly Perederiy, general director of Chelyabinsk Metrotram JSC. “The work will be carried out through two tunnel drilling complexes of one diameter. six meters, which will soon be delivered to Chelyabinsk and installed directly on site.”
The construction of the launch site was preceded by eight months of preparatory work for the transfer of networks. There are residential areas around. And it was necessary to relocate water pipes, storm drains, lighting and communication lines so as not to cause inconvenience to the neighbors. Only later could the builders begin to implement the metro project.
The same scope of work will have to be carried out at the northernmost point of the Metrotram, at the intersection of Kosarev Street and Pobeda Avenue. As already reported by RG, last week a positive expert opinion was received regarding the opening of the northern launch site. So there is still a long way to go before going underground: there are several months ahead to work with public services and even move the tram tracks.
However, as Vitaly Perederiy promised, residents of residential neighborhoods have nothing to worry about. Tram traffic along Pobeda Avenue will not be closed during the works. The new tram line will be laid parallel to the construction site, after which tram traffic will transfer to it at night.
After construction of both sites, the tunnel boring complexes will begin to move closer to each other, reducing construction time. According to the project, the general construction works of the North-South metro tram line should be completed in 2026.
According to experts, it will absorb more than 15 percent of passenger traffic from the northwest to the Central and Leninsky regions. Getting from one end of the city to the other will be much more comfortable and faster. The underground section will reduce travel time by between 15 and 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, the construction of the West-East line is still waiting in the wings. Glavgosexpertiza is approving the documentation for the first stages of its construction.
