OREANDA-NEWS. November 2, 2011. A new 500-meter long viaduct on M-60 Ussuri federal route has been opened for traffic nearby the Rostral Column, at the entry to Vladivostok. This is one of the major and most challenging projects of the highway route, which has been undergoing the large-scale upgrading as part of preparations for APEC-2012 Summit.

The new interchange, which has been already opened for traffic, looks impressively. The legs of 16 supports have been erected up to the design elevation and seventeen reinforced concrete girders that are 33-meters long have been installed in each of the 15 spans. The bridge builders hoisted heavy-weight structures in the nighttime to avoid interference with heavy traffic.

Over 2,000 cubic meters of fibrous steel concrete imparting enhanced waterproofing have been placed in the viaduct roadway. The road pavement made of A1 Grade dense asphalt concrete was placed using special machinery equipped with a 3-D laser leveling system.

Before the 15-span viaduct has been built, the exit to Vessenyaya Station has been rated as the most accident prone section of M-60 Vladivostok - Khabarovsk route. With the commissioning of the new interchange the drivers will not have to cross the incoming traffic lane, which was the cause of up to 90% of traffic accidents in this section according to statistic records. The way to Rostral Column is now more gently graded. There is now a new entry to Vladivostok at the stela which is one of the city symbols. This is the point of the widest section of the upgraded route with three lanes on the through viaduct and two lanes on the auxiliary ramps to Vesennyaya Station.