Uprdor Taman, a road transport agency, has announced that in August 2017 the Kerch Strait will be temporarily closed to shipping traffic due to the construction of arches of the Kerch Strait Bridge.
The Uprdor Taman acting director Roman Novikov told the IAA PortNews regional correspondent on the sidelines of the 3rd Crimea Transport Forum in Alushta that the installation of two-lane (rail and road) arches of the bridge is scheduled for August 2017. The operation is expected to take four to seven days. So, for that period vessel traffic in the Kerch-Yenikale channel will be suspended. The installation will depend on local weather conditions, Mr. Novikov said.
Mr. Novikov added that the assembly of the arches will start in July 2016 on a dedicated dock in Kerch on the Crimea shore. Steel structures for arches are being supplied. The assembly of rail and road arches in Crimea will take about a year. The rail/road Kerch Strait Bridge will have underbridge clearance of 35 meters to ensure safe passage of vessels.