War-battered Romanivka in Kyiv region welcomes newly rebuilt bridge across the Irpin River
Photo: Video grab
A new bridge over the Irpin River was officially opened in the village of Romanyvka, Kyiv region, to replace the one that had to be destroyed at the beginning of Russia's full-fledged invasion.
The mayor of the neighboring city of Irpin, Oleksandr Markushev, made the announcement, Rubryka reports.
What's the problem?
On February 25, 2022, the Ukrainian military blew up the old Romanivka Bridge to prevent Russian invaders from advancing towards Kyiv. Later, this very location may have become the only way to safety for thousands of residents of the Irpin community, and hundreds of evacuation photos circulated worldwide.
Markushev said that during the occupation of the Kyiv region, the bridge over the Irpin River in Romanivka saved 40,000 residents of Hostomel, Bucha, and Irpin — Ukrainians fleeing the invasion used it as a cover with safe passage.
This bridge was crucial for logistic connections from the capital to other cities. The entire traffic during this time was redirected through a temporary embankment bridge built immediately after the de-occupation of the city. Irpin faced traffic jams in the morning and evening.
What's the solution?
The opening of the new bridge in Irpin is, without exaggeration, a historic event for the city that served as a shield for Kyiv. "Although it was cold, difficult, and frightening, this bridge will forever remain in the history of Irpin as the 'Road of Life,'" said the mayor.
How does it work?
A completely new bridge is operational alongside the destroyed one, which will remain a memorial of war events. It is sturdy and spacious, open to traffic in both directions.
"Work is currently 95% complete. The replacement of communications near the bridge is the only thing left. Today, we discussed this with the Minister, who agreed that it must be done as soon as possible," Markushev said. "Today, we also discussed the history of our memorial — the old destroyed bridge. We proposed to have a working meeting because it cannot remain in its current state."
As reported, all the reconstruction was done using funds from the state budget by the Turkish company "Onur Group."
The project includes two bridges, each 114 meters long, with four spans. A total of 7,500 m3 of concrete and 970 tons of structural iron will be used for construction. The bridge will connect the cities of Hostomel, Bucha, and Irpin to the capital Kyiv.
"To build a bridge and connect Irpin with Kyiv was the main goal, and it has been achieved. And now it will happen," said Mr. Andrii, an engineering consultant at the "Onur Group" company.
The new bridge aims to relieve traffic congestion in Romanivka during peak hours.
Mustafa Naiem, the head of the Agency for the Restoration and Development of Infrastructure, added that the bridge has noise barriers, barrier fencing, engineering communications, and external lighting.
Technical supervision during construction is carried out by the Ukrainian representation of the Austrian company "IC Infrastructure Ukraine."
Earlier, the Ukrainian authorities made plans to build a memorial complex dedicated to the destroyed Romanivka bridge, connecting Irpin with Kyiv, and to the residents of Kyiv region affected by the actions of the Russians. The destroyed bridge is expected to become part of the memorial complex. This was previously announced by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky. The mayor also expressed confidence that a memorial called "Road of Life" will soon be opened at this location.
