The Metro Bridge and the Paton Bridge in Kyiv are important architectural monuments, but they have never been overhauled due to legal restrictions. Both bridges are included in the State Register of Immovable Monuments of Ukraine, which complicates the necessary repair works. Engineer Anna Minyukova notes in her article that the issue requires a comprehensive solution, including the possibility of building a new bridge next to the Patona bridge and amending legislation to ensure proper maintenance and modernization of strategically important facilities.
The metro and the Paton Bridge in Kyiv are included in the State Register of Immovable Monuments of Ukraine as monuments of architecture and urban planning, science and technology of local importance and have protection agreements. Bridge named after E.O. The Paton over the Dnipro River was built in 1953, the Metro bridge in 1965, and since then they have never been overhauled. One of the reasons is the impossibility of agreeing the type of work with the Ministry of Culture and removing buildings from the Register of Architectural Monuments during the renovation, because the law stipulates that removal from the Register is carried out only if the monument has been destroyed or the monument has lost its object of protection , which is defined in the passport of the object.
The Paton Bridge was designed according to the standards of 1948. By order of the Committee for the Protection and Restoration of Monuments No. 10 of May 16, 1994, the bridge named after E.O. Paton is included in the newly discovered monuments of architecture. In 1995, the bridge was recognized by the American Welding Association as an outstanding welded structure. In 2008, the bridge named after E.O. Paton was entered into the State Register of immovable monuments of Ukraine as a monument of architecture and urban planning, science and technology of local importance (order of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Ukraine dated 07.11.2008 No. 1285/0/16-08 protection No. 530-Kv).
For the repair of such bridges, only one type of work is possible - restoration, which involves restoring the technical characteristics of the bridge structures without changing their appearance and parameters. But due to physical and moral wear and tear, changes in traffic intensity and weight of vehicles, such bridges require new solutions for construction and repair.
It is for this reason that the Restoration Agency is considering the option of building a new bridge next to the Paton Bridge instead of repairing it. The main disadvantage of this option is its integration into the city's transport system and the construction of exits and entrances to the main transport highways. For example, the exits from the Darnytsky Bridge, which were opened to traffic in 2011, remain unfinished today. Main pipelines for providing heating and hot water to the residents of Rusanivka and Bereznyaki micro-districts, which are laid within the framework of the span structure of the Patona bridge, also need urgent repair. Repair of main pipelines can be carried out only during the complete reconstruction of the bridge. Therefore, the question regarding the restoration of the Patona bridge must be solved in a comprehensive manner and will simultaneously involve the repair of main pipelines.
The Metro bridge was built on the site of a bridge destroyed during the Second World War. The facility is part of the complex of buildings "Dnipro Metro Station" - Metro bridge, which was recognized as a monument of architecture and urban planning, science and technology of local importance by order of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Ukraine dated 07.11.2008 Nº1285/0/16-08, protection Nº 529- Kv (the Metro bridge itself has a guard Nº529/2-Kv). The object is located within the landscape and history monument of local importance "Historical Landscape of the Kyiv Mountains and the Dnipro River Valley" (order of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism dated 02.03.2010 No. 58/0/0/16-10).
The construction of the Metro bridge in Soviet times was experimental. In general, there were only a few such bridges in the USSR, and today the only one remains in Kyiv, the others have been dismantled. The bridge does not meet the requirements of the current regulations regarding load capacity and traffic safety (insufficient dimensions of the carriageways and insufficient height of the fence of the carriageway).
The need to remove the status of an architectural monument from strategically important bridges is determined by the following reasons:
- simplification of procedures: the absence of the need to coordinate each stage of work with the Ministry of Culture can significantly speed up the process of reconstruction and modernization, which is especially important for strategically important objects;
- modernization and technical renewal: the status of a monument limits the possibility of using modern technologies and materials during repair works. Removing the status will make it possible to update the infrastructure in accordance with modern requirements and technologies;
- economic feasibility: repair and maintenance of bridges with monument status can be significantly more expensive due to the need to comply with specific restoration requirements. Removing the status will allow to reduce costs and use budget funds more efficiently.
Therefore, removing the status of an architectural monument from strategically important bridges is a necessary step to guarantee their safety, reliability and efficiency in modern conditions.
It is necessary to introduce legislative changes and develop simplified procedures regarding the further actions of objects that have already been classified as monuments, which will make it possible to carry out the reconstruction and replacement of strategically important bridges. Also, at the legislative level, the ban on recognizing strategic objects as monuments should be considered, which significantly affects further measures regarding their operation and repair.
