The Metro Bridge and Paton Bridge in Kyiv are important architectural monuments, but they have never undergone major repairs due to legislative restrictions. Both bridges are included in the State Register of Immovable Monuments of Ukraine, which complicates the necessary repair work. This 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 Paton Bridge and amending the legislation to ensure proper maintenance and modernization of strategically important facilities.
The metro and 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. The E.O. Paton Bridge across the Dnieper River was built in 1953, the Metro Bridge in 1965, and since then they have never undergone major repairs. One of the reasons is the inability to agree on the type of work with the Ministry of Culture and to remove the structures from the register of architectural monuments for the duration of the repairs, because the law stipulates that removal from the Register is carried out only if the monument has been destroyed or the monument has lost the subject of protection, which is specified 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 dated May 16, 1994, the E.O. Paton Bridge was included in the newly discovered architectural monuments. In 1995, the bridge was recognized by the American Welding Association as an outstanding welded structure. In 2008, the E.O. Paton Bridge was included in 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 November 7, 2008 No. 1285/0/16-08, protection No. 530-Kv).
Only one type of work is possible for the repair of such bridges - restoration, which involves restoring the technical characteristics of the bridge structures without changing their appearance and parameters. However, due to physical and moral wear and tear, changes in traffic intensity and vehicle weight, such bridges require new solutions for construction and repair.
That is why 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, today the exits from the Darnytskyi Bridge, which were opened to traffic in 2011, remain unfinished. Also, the main pipelines for providing heat supply and hot water to residents of the Rusanivka and Bereznyaki microdistricts, which are laid within the structures of the Paton Bridge span, need urgent repair. Repair of the main pipelines can only be carried out during the complete reconstruction of the bridge. Therefore, the issue of restoring the Paton Bridge must be resolved comprehensively and will at the same time provide for the repair of the main pipelines.
The Metro Bridge was built on the site of a bridge destroyed during World War II. The facility is part of the complex of buildings “Dnipro Metro Station - Metro Bridge”, which by order of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Ukraine dated 07.11.2008 Nº1285/0/16-08 was recognized as a monument of architecture and urban planning, science and technology of local importance, protection Nº 529-Kv (the Metro Bridge itself has protection Nº529/2-Kv). The facility is located within the landscape and history monument of local importance “Historical Landscape of the Kyiv Mountains and the Dnieper River Valley” (order of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism dated 03.02.2010 Nº 58/0/0/16-10).
The design of the Metro bridge during the Soviet era was experimental. In general, there were only a few such bridges in the USSR, and today only one remains in Kyiv, the others have been dismantled. The bridge does not meet the requirements of current standards for load-bearing capacity and traffic safety (insufficient width of the carriageways and insufficient height of the carriageway fence).
The need to remove the status of an architectural monument from strategically important bridges is due to 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 reconstruction and modernization process, which is especially important for strategically important objects;
- modernization and technical renewal: the monument status limits the possibility of using modern technologies and materials during renovation works. Removing the status will allow the infrastructure to be updated 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 reduce costs and use budget funds more efficiently.
Therefore, removing the status of architectural monuments from strategically important bridges is a necessary step to guarantee their safety, reliability, and efficiency in modern conditions.
It is necessary to make legislative changes and develop simplified procedures for further actions of objects that have already been classified as monuments, which will allow for the reconstruction and replacement of strategically important bridges. Also, at the legislative level, a ban on recognizing strategic objects as monuments should be considered, which significantly affects further measures for their operation and repair.
