As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the first two phases of the reconstruction works on Krk bridge, which began back in September last year, will be completed by June the 18th this year, and from that date, both lanes of the bridge will be open to vehicles until September the 15th. Following that date, work on the third and fourth phases of reconstruction of the upper surfaces and pavements will begin. The above was confirmed for Novi list by Sanjin Velebit Pesut, a chief engineer at Croatian Motorways (HAC), who is also in charge of the reconstruction project.
The Krk bridge is completely open for traffic as normal this weekend, as it was for the previous two, due to the increased number of vehicles passing over it on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The same will be true next weekend too, while on weekdays until June the 18th, the traffic will be allowed to continue to flow along only one lane and with regulation, which is why, since last autumn, there have been occasional increased traffic jams and delays on the approaches to the Krk bridge.
”Over this and next weekend, both lanes of the Krk bridge will remain in operation in order to enable the smooth passage of vehicles in the days of increased traffic load, before the start of the summer tourist season. On working days until June the 18th, the traffic will be allowed only on one lane, with traffic light regulation, and by then all works on the pavement of the large arch of the bridge will be completed. So far, the concreting and asphalting of the upper surface of the Krk bridge has been performed, which were the biggest works.
In addition to the installation of transition devices, the installation of a new pedestrian fence on the bridge is also in progress. It is an external fence on the bridge that will be replaced with a new one that will have a far higher degree of corrosion protection than the previous one and will, in the future, require significantly less maintenance than the existing fence, which practically had to be constantly sanded and painted,” Pesut said.
The reconstruction of the superstructure and pavement of the Krk bridge is worth 55 million kuna, and due to the need to maintain traffic in parallel with the works, it is being divided into four phases. The works are being performed by a consortium of Croatian companies – Sitolor, Spegra and Geotehnika.
The works on the Krk bridge include the installation of a brand new concrete slab and the completion of the primary reconstruction and protection of the remaining concrete surfaces of the bridge from the effects of the aggressive action of chloride from salty seawater. As part of the reconstruction of the bridge, a new drainage system is being installed, given that the previous system consisted of drains from which rainwater flowed directly down into the sea and onto the land underneath. New drains are now being installed, and a new controlled drainage system will be installed under the pavement in the construction phase.
In addition to the above, on the large arch of the Krk bridge, a new protective fence has been placed on both sides between the lanes and the pedestrian part, and it is much stronger than before, which is clearly visible when crossing the bridge. The load-bearing posts of the fence are placed much more densely, ie with smaller intervals than before, they are much stronger than the previous ones, as is the protective lining placed on them. Although traffic safety will be higher, passengers in most vehicles will no longer be able to enjoy the view that has been provided when crossing the Krk bridge due to the fence being constructed in this way.
”Today’s standards in construction are like that, safety comes first. The protective fence of the roadway far surpasses the previous one in terms of strength, in accordance with the valid regulations, and there are no compromise solutions,” Pesut pointed out in anticipation of complaints about the view of Kvarner being taken away.
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