By the end of February, the 400-meter "Polotsky" overpass in Vitebsk will take its final shape.

By the end of February, the 400-meter "Polotsky" overpass in Vitebsk will take its final shape. "Vitebskiye Vesti" observed how construction workers meticulously placed 40-tonne reinforced concrete beams on the last span of its main section – the bridge over the railway tracks, connecting Kosmonavtov and Titova streets. This is the widest part of the overpass, almost fifty meters wide, designed for four-lane traffic and tram tracks.

To close the last span, eighteen 20-meter beams need to be laid with an accuracy of 12 mm. They are delivered to Vitebsk by rail from Fanipol (reinforced concrete bridge structures plant), where they are manufactured, including by special order. The work is progressing well for the builders – the outlines of the access roads to the overpass are changing before our eyes, and the last supporting pillars of the "butterfly" interchanges are being concreted (a total of 45 will be erected).

Over 200 construction workers are working 12 hours a day at the large-scale facility covering 20 hectares, with about 30 units of equipment involved.

With the start of landscaping and finishing work on the overpass, and stable positive temperatures, the number of workers will increase to 300. Behind are some of the most labor-intensive stages of construction – the relocation of numerous utilities, the installation of main intermediate supports capable of withstanding huge dynamic loads, including in the inter-track space – with almost no interruption to train traffic, and the vertical and horizontal planning of tens of thousands of cubic meters of soil.

"The estimated readiness of the facility is 60%," clarified the project manager, Head of the Technical Supervision Department of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee's Capital Construction Department, Mikhail Kazurov.

However, there is still a lot of work to be done: the bridge deck, sidewalks need to be constructed, and asphalt laid. Almost 2 kilometers of road barriers alone are required, along with 12 thousand sq. m. of facing tiles, about a hundred lighting masts, and illumination. Six pedestrian staircases are needed to access the overpass. A separate task involves laying a special sound-insulating matting under the tram tracks. Welders and reinforcement workers are "tying" it, fastening the wire mesh, essentially by hand. The roadway of the overpass is also equipped with a drainage system for storm runoff. Two treatment facilities are currently under construction where this water will be filtered. Simultaneously, builders from the TTC are working with us – they will extend the tram tracks by 30 meters along Titov Street.

It seems that the weather itself is aiding the builders. An exceptionally warm winter has significantly accelerated the laying of utility networks, the construction of retaining walls, embankments, and landscaping work – the unfrozen ground is easily manageable by machinery. By the way, it is not easy to get employed at construction site No. 1 – only experienced bridge builders from Vitebsk, Mogilev, and Grodno are working here.

– People are attracted by good earnings, stable funding, and efficient work organization, – noted **Vyacheslav Kibitlevsky, occupational safety engineer at the Vitebsk branch of MSU No. 5 of OJSC "Mostostroy"**. – I have been here since the very beginning of construction, on site almost every day. The work is very large-scale, and therefore great attention is paid to labor safety. Our builders have had no injuries, and this is pleasing.

The "Polotsk" overpass is being built for the long term, so much of the project is designed with the future in mind. For example, the traction substation for powering the trams is currently being completed; it is designed to accommodate additional equipment for launching, for instance, trolleybuses along Leningradskaya Street.

Even the sidewalks on the overpass are being constructed with the provision to run additional power cables and communication lines underneath them. And the overpass itself is one and a half meters higher than the old one – electric trains will be able to pass underneath it.

– The project is being implemented ahead of schedule, – emphasized Mikhail Kazurov. – Financing is stable, and the builders are in high spirits. The main thing is that the weather does not let us down, and there are no prolonged heavy rains or frosts. At this pace, we can say that the overpass will be commissioned in 6-7 months.