10.05.2023 - Aluminium Association, Goverment of the Nizhniy Novgorod Region

A pedestrian bridge with aluminium structures was opened in the town of Bor, Nizhny Novgorod Region. The structure over the bypass road, which connected the central part of the city with the bank of the Vezloma River, is also used as a viewing platform offering a view of Nizhny Novgorod. The bridge is 121.6 metres long and 3.33 metres wide. Aluminium parts were manufactured at the Krasnoyarsk Metallurgical Plant; aluminium plates were produced by Samara Metallurgical Plant. The architectural design was developed by the Gora Architectural Bureau.

The bridge with supporting structures made of aluminium is part of the Bor Volgorechye integrated public space improvement project. The bridge structure is an example of the fusion style, harmoniously combining different materials such as aluminium, glass and wood. Bor-outbound, the ramp has a standard rise, while from the bank, there is a stairway and a glazed lifting platform for groups of persons with reduced mobility. There is a suspended LED spotlight, symbolising a beacon, which is attached to the top of the elevator shaft.

"The bridge has become an important part of the Borskoe Volgorechye public space. It fulfils several important tasks at once: on the one hand, it provides comfortable crossing of pedestrians, including those with low mobility, across a busy motorway, and on the other hand, it acts as an architectural dominant linking different objects of the recreational area. Since its opening, the bridge has become a place of attraction for residents and guests of the city - families walk here and take photos on the observation deck," said Sergey Morozov, Deputy Governor of the Nizhny Novgorod Re-gion.

According to him, the bridge was a continuation of the concept of integrated development of the territory of the left bank of the Volga, within the framework of which an intercepting car park has already been built near the cable car station, the territory has been improved under the programme "Formation of a Comfortable Urban Environment", and a bicycle path is planned to be built there in the near future. Cafes are already opening nearby - this is not only tourism development, but also new jobs.

Even at the project stage, the bridge in Borsky Volgorechye was recognised by the professional community of architects and bridge builders. In 2021, it was awarded a special nomination for the Aluminium in Architecture competition at the second international forum "Aluminium in Architecture and Construction" (AlumForum 2021). "Aluminium is an important material for parametric architecture, characterised by its functionality and coherence with the space in which it is created, and giving an aesthetically pleasing look to modern aluminium bridges is one of the areas of work of the Aluminium Association. Experience has shown that aluminium bridges installed in various cities of the country with our direct participation invariably attract public attention," said Evgeny Vasiliev, Head of Transport Infrastructure at the Aluminium Association.

Today, 15 bridges with aluminium structures are in operation in Russia. The country's very first aluminium bridge was erected in the Northern Capital more than half a century ago - in 1969. Two of the first aluminium bridges in modern Russia were built in 2017 in Nizhny Novgorod. To date, a total of three aluminium overpasses have been installed in the Nizhny Novgorod region. There are three aluminium pedestrian bridges in Moscow, and one each in Tula and Samara. Krasnoyarsk is the record holder in the number of operating bridges made of "winged" metal - six such structures have been built in the capital of the Krasnoyarsk region.