End Kanonersky Island Constructed 1970-1983 Opened 29 July 1983 | Work begun 1970 Closed 1983 (three months) | |
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Start Dvinskaya street of Gutuevsky Iseland Similar Alexander Nevsky Bridge, Big port Saint Petersburg, Obvodny Canal | ||
Kanonersky Tunnel (Russian: Канонерский тоннель) is a tunnel under the sea canаl in the Kirovsky District of Saint-Petersburg. The tunnel provides a link between Kanonersky island and Dvinskaya street on Gutuevsky island.
Contents
A new toll road, the central section of which is still under construction, will soon provide a north-south corridor over the island.
History
Kanonersky island is an industrial area of St Petersburg, home mostly to large ship building enterprises. Before 1983 the only way to get to there was by ferry across the Morskoy sea canal (it was the last ferry line of Saint Petersburg) or a private boat. The crossing was also necessary for the transportation of cargo from Big port Saint Petersburg.
The tunnel project was prepared by Lengiprotrans, and the building work carried out by Giprostroymost. Geodetic maintenance of the building is carried out by Petersburg State University of Means of Communication. The Tunnel was built using a method of buried sections: in the preliminary trench five identical sections were laid, each of which had a length of 75 metres (246 ft) and weighed about 8,000 tonnes (8,800 short tons). The length of the site dipping sections totalled 375 metres (1,230 ft).
For the building of the sections on the bank of the sea canal, the original dock-sluice was constructed. After sluicing the created sections, with the end faces closed by metal partitions, were counterbalanced by water and transported along the sea canal to the place of immersion. They were then joined to an earlier established section, forming a uniform design. For the control of the immersion, divers worked underwater.
The full length of the tunnel was 927 metres (3,041 ft). The tunnel has two lanes and a footpath. Along with cables for electrical supply and communication; water supply and central heating pipes connect Kanonersky Island with the city.
Operation
Periodically water gets into the tunnel because of defects in the waterproofing. After a solemn opening of the tunnel, it was closed again for three months for major repairs. In 2004 Lengiprotrans repair work was also carried out. In 2006 there was a mooring damaged over the tunnel, from it the tunnel was also damaged. At the end of June 2009 tunnel repair was again required, with the drainage system being replaced.
Serious failures in the tunnel are rare because of low speeds. Elimination of the consequences can however occupy some hours.