Video images show a semi-trailer truck on the bridge at the time, and another angle shows what may be a wave caused by the bow of a boat below the bridge. It is not clear whether it originated above the bridge deck, or below.Īdditional footage /w5ngstLp5m- OSINTtechnical October 8, 2022 It is clear it originated at the road bridge, and the blast started the fire on the fuel train on the nearby rail bridge. There is much debate as to the cause of the explosion. Blazing fuel poured down over the southern side of the bridge, and was blown back in a northerly direction by the wind, exposing nearly all steel surfaces to the fire.Ĭloser look at the collapsed road span of the Crimean bridge /ZW1OOAKdns- OSINTtechnical October 8, 2022 The blast ignited what is presumably fuel in a tanker train on the adjacent rail bridge, causing an inferno that burned for at least an hour. 2QbtE9dZ7C- Maxar Technologies October 8, 2022 Damage is apparent on the bridge span that carries vehicle traffic and the span that has a rail line. #Satelliteimagery today at 11:01 AM local time of the aftermath of the explosion that damaged the #Crimea Bridge which connects the Crimean peninsula with the Russian mainland. Just like picking up a table cloth in the middle, the massive vertical force due to the blast would pull in the ends of the continuous steel girders, popping them off their supports. It appears the girders are continuous over the piers, with expansion joints only every four spans. A third span on the Tuzla side remains standing, while the next span over fell off its far bearings. The adjacent span on the Crimean side remained intact, but was pulled off its bearings and also collapsed into the sea. The blast caused one span to rupture at its middle. It is important to know this because the effect of the blast and inferno, and the subsequent repair and likely safety of the structure is very sensitive to the form of construction. This means there is a 20 centimeter concrete slab cast onto flat steel plates, stiffened with steel ribs, all supported by about 3.2 meter deep steel plate girders.
The attacked section lies between Tuzla Island and Kerch, Crimea, on an east-west heading, and is midway between the island and the main arch span over the navigable waterway.Īt this point the rail and road bridges are of a similar form of construction, known as a "composite slab orthotropic deck steel plate girder bridge," spanning about 64 meters. Some general drawings and information on the bridge are available online. The road bridge is itself two independent bridge structures, while the rail bridge is a single bridge structure supporting two ballasted rail tracks. The 19-kilometer connection is a vital artery for economic and social links, and since Russia's invasion of Ukraine it has also become a critical military asset for Russian supplies and telecommunications.ĭespite the name, the Crimean Bridge is actually two bridges: one for road and one for rail. Observers have been left wondering: what was the effect of the blast and fire on the surviving bridge elements, what repairs could be required, and when is it safe to re-open a bridge after such an event?Īs experts in bridge safety and blast engineering, we have (some) answers.īuilt by Russia at a cost of some US$3.7 billion after the annexation of Crimea in 2014, the Crimean Bridge is Europe's longest, linking Russia to Crimea across the Kerch Strait. But Russia has moved quickly to return the bridge to operations, even though it appears to be significantly damaged.
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