Republic

Belarus President names bridge over Dnepr major contribution to small towns development programme

The new bridge over the Dnepr is a major contribution to the implementation of the programme for developing small urban communities. The statement was made today by Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko during the opening of a new bridge over the River Dnepr. The bridge connects the town of Kopys, Orsha region, Vitebsk oblast, and the village of Alexandria, Shklov region, Mogilev oblast. According to the head of state, the new bridge is a good gift bestowed upon the two communities and all the lands along the Dnepr. Visiting the Shklov region two years ago, the President gave an instruction to build a solid bridge by September 1, 2007. Many believed the project will not be accomplished. The President’s instruction has been fulfilled. The new quality bridge over the Dnepr was built within as short a time as possible. The President noted, all significant construction projects in Belarus are constantly monitored by the government. “This fine bridge built within eighteen months is a vivid example. People in the settlements nearby eagerly waited for the moment, hoping many problems of theirs will be resolved once the bridge is operational. Permanent transport communication fixes the unemployment problem,” said the head of state. Alexander Lukashenko noted, the bridge is also important for the economy of the coastal areas of the two oblasts. The bridge is expected to be used to transport almost 100,000 tonnes of cargo and 250,000 passengers a year. In the near future the bridge will allow closing the bridge in Shklov for reconstruction. The President said, more opportunities for using the rich historical, cultural and natural potentials of many communities are opening up now. Many small towns such as Kopys, Shklov and the village of Alexandria have rich history and a significant potential for development. The village of Zubovo has been granted an additional chance for development. In Kopys a contemporary cheese workshop has been built, a ceramics production facility has been restored, a modern woodworking facility has been built as a subsidiary of Orsha Construction Materials Factory. They also constitute a contribution to the village revival programme, believes Alexander Lukashenko. The President is convinced, the new bridge will also contribute to promoting farm tourism, including farm tourism for foreigners. The head of state underlined, there is everything necessary for promoting farm tourism such as beautiful nature, fascinating landscapes, a dacha coupled with a museum of Yanka Kupala nearby. There are many places of interest in Kopys. Alexander Lukashenko noted, everything should be done to fully utilise the historical, cultural and natural opportunities the land offers for tourism development. The head of state spoke in positive terms about the design and construction of the bridge performed by many companies and thanked those, who contributed to the project. In particular, motorway and bridge design company Belgiprodor provided the design and estimate documentation. The bridge was built by Vitebsk Road Construction Trust No. 1 and bridge-building company Mostootryad No. 425. Precast concrete slabs for the trafficway were fabricated by the bridge construction plant in the town of Fanipol, metal parts of the bridge framework — Energomash company in the Russian city of Belgorod.