OREANDA-NEWS. April 25, 2012. Vladimir Yakunin, President of Russian Railways, took part in the opening ceremony of the new Zamanlinsky Bridge (Viaduct) in Armenia, reported the press-centre of RZD.

Yakunin was in Armenia on a working trip to the South Caucasus Railways. Also attending the opening were Serzh Sargsyan, the President of Armenia, and Vyacheslav Kovalenko, Russia’s ambassador to Armenia.

The reconstruction of Zamanlinsky Bridge has been underway since 2010 as part of the investment programme of South Caucasus Railways to revitalise the railways and improve infrastructure. The new bridge, to be operated by South Caucasus Railways, was built near the historic Zamanlinsky Viaduct and is 216.86 metres long and 42.89 metres high.

"These objects are Armenian achievements which will serve the people. Our joint work can serve as a good example of cooperation between Russia and Armenia in all social and economic sectors," said Yakunin at the ceremony.

The reconstruction of Zamanlinsky Bridge is another step towards developing the infrastructure on South Caucasus Railways and improving its effectiveness. The bridge will play an essential role in growing Armenia’s economy, creating the necessary conditions for the integration of Armenia into the Eurasian transport system and strengthening cooperation with the country’s partners in foreign markets.

According to Vladimir Yakunin, the construction of the bridge has become one of the largest projects implemented in Armenia within the framework of the investment programme at Russian Railways.

Since Russian Railways assumed the management of Armenian Railways in June 2008 following a concessionaire agreement, the Company has invested around 6 billion roubles in the development of the railways and will invest a further 1.1 billion roubles in 2012.

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The construction of Zamanlinsky Viaduct (bridge) across the left branch of the river Debed in the Lori region was one of the most difficult stages in the construction of the Tbilisi-Kars railway line, with the assembly, transportation and installation of the girders and trusses on the piers proving to be the most time consuming work.

Preparations for the construction of the "Viaduct across Zamanlu ravine," as the bridge was called in the Russian Empire’s official documents, started in 1895, when forest clearing began in the vicinity of the future construction site, steps were taken to ban the cultivation of land allocated to the railways, and the process of buying out the gardens of the local peasants commenced.

Zamanlinsky viaduct is situated at the 129th kilometre on the Tbilisi-Kars Railway Line and was completed in October 1898, with the first train successfully crossing it the same month. The bridge is the oldest railway bridge in Armenia, and was also the highest railway bridge in Tsarist Russia at the time of its construction.