OREANDA-NEWS. August 25, 2009. Another remarkable event of the epoch of Great Revival has been written in golden letters in the history of independent neutral Turkmenistan. Construction of the strategic economic facility – 1,414-m Atamurat-Kerkichi railway bridge across the Amu Darya River has been completed. For less than two years the unique engineering facility that has no analogues in the region has been built across the largest river of Central Asia. The project was under the patronage of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, who took the immediate action to accelerate construction of the facility.

The USD 123 million worth bridge was built under the project developed at the request of Turkmenistan by the specialists Ukrainian Dneprogiprotrans Institute and meets the international standards. The general contractor was the bridge builders of the Ukrtransstroy Corporation. The Turkmen builders of the subdivisions of the Ministry of Railway Transport worked diligently shoulder to shoulder with the builders from the friendly country.

Project Manager B. Shevchenko noted that thanks to the vigorous actions and direct assistance and support of the President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov the construction project had been without prejudicing the quality of the construction and engineering factors accelerated in the most difficult situation. The President of Turkmenistan ensured the effective and prompt solutions to the problems that had been accumulated over the previous years. The Turkmen builders demonstrated high professionalism, well coordination and dedication to the work.

Atamurat-Kerkichi railway bridge is ready for operation. The facilities of such scale and complexity have never been built in Turkmenistan before.

The bridge is 12 steel spans 110 m long and 2 shore spans 33.6 m each, the auxiliary and maintenance facilities. The depth of drilling the bridge footings is 50-60 metres and more, especially in the middle of the river. The constructions of the steel spans that weight many tons are based on the firm footings built from thick reinforcement rods and high-quality concrete. Tens of thousands of tons and cubic metres of metal fittings, stone, concrete and other construction materials were required to build this magnificent engineering facility. High-powered machinery and mechanisms including Bauer BS drilling machines that weighing 120 tons and 4 concrete production plants with the capacity of 960 cubic metres a day each were engaged in construction. The project provided for took the weight, weight-bearing capacity, traffic speed, seismic stability and other important parameters. According to specialists, the bridge can withstand the earthquake shocks that measure 8 on the Richter scale.

The centuries-old dream of the people residing on the right bank in the southeast of Lebap Velayat came true after the ‘golden link’ of Atamurat-Kerkichi bridge was welded. Henceforth, the railways on the right bank of the Amu Darya River will be connected to the railway network of the country.

It is difficult to overestimate the paramount importance of the new strategic transport corridor for the social and economic development of Lebap and Turkmenistan. For the right bank of the Amu Darya River is rich in hydrocarbon resources and the unique mineral deposits. Until now the factor obstructing accelerated commercial development of this countless riches was the lack of reliable railway communication. Today this obstruction has been removed.

In the near future the grandiose changes will take place in this region of the country. They were launched by the start of construction for the ore-dressing and processing plant – the first one to be built in Turkmenistan in collaboration with Belarusian partners. The project on construction of the cement works will be launched in the region in the near future. A large industrial centre with many plans and factories and other modern production facilities will spring up there. The enormous wealth of the Magdanly-Garlyk region will be placed at the service of the Turkmen people. Addressing the needs of the country they will contribute to Turkmenistan’s profound export potential.

Thousands of new jobs will be created and the towns and settlements will turn into the blooming oases with expanded agricultural production. Moreover, putting into operation the grandiose engineering facility across the Amu Darya River will play a crucial role in implementing the profound transit potential Turkmenistan – the country that lays on the routes from north to south and west to east.