{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}} {{Infobox bridge |bridge_name = President Bridge |native_name = Президентский мост |native_name_lang = ru |image = Ул. мост.jpg |image_size = 300px |alt = |caption = President Bridge, 20 January 2010 |locale = |owner = |designer = |engineering = |design = |material = |length = {{convert|5.825|km|mi|abbr=on}} |width = |height = |mainspan = |spans = 25 |pierswater = |load = |clearance = |below = |life = |builder = |fabricator = |begin = 1986 |complete = |open = 24 November 2009 |inaugurated = |toll = |traffic = 40,000 vehicles/day |coordinates = {{Coord|54|21|36|N|48|26|34|E|display=inline,title}} | mapframe-zoom = 10 |lat = |long = |extra = }}
The '''President Bridge''' ({{langx|ru|Президентский мост}}) is a truss bridge<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://en.structurae.de/structures/data/index.cfm?ID=s0001496 |title= Ulyanovsk Volga River Bridge |publisher=Structurae |accessdate=25 August 2010}}</ref> that crosses over the Volga river in Ulyanovsk Oblast, Russia, connecting the city of Ulyanovsk with the east side of the city Ulyanovsk. It is the second longest bridge in Russia, and one of the longest bridges in Europe,<ref name="remstroymost.ru" /> with a length of {{convert|5.825|km|mi}}, and {{convert|12.98|km|mi}} including the connecting highway .<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.volgomost.ru/pressroom/release/104.html |script-title=ru:Ульяновский мост будет сдан в следующем году |date=24 November 2009 |accessdate=11 August 2010 |language=Russian |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091126022047/http://www.volgomost.ru/pressroom/release/104.html |archivedate=26 November 2009 }}</ref>
It has 25 spans of {{convert|221|m|ft}} and weighs 4,000 tons.<ref name="izvestia.ru" /> The bridge's capacity is over 40,000 vehicles per day.<ref name="rg.ru">{{Cite web|url=http://www.rg.ru/2010/04/27/most.html |script-title=ru:Развязка над Волгой: Новый мост через Волгу в Ульяновске решил транспортные проблемы в регионе |author=Виктория Чернышева |date=27 April 2010 |accessdate=11 August 2010 |language=Russian}}</ref>
==History== thumb|left|The bridge under construction, June 2008 The new bridge was built as the aging Ulyanovsk Bridge (built 1913–1916) could no longer cope with the growing traffic.<ref name="minprom.ulgov.ru" /> It was constructed as a part of a federal modernization program<ref name="remstroymost.ru">{{Cite web |url=http://www.remstroymost.ru/objects/1/1/ |script-title=ru:Мостовой переход через р. Волга г. Ульяновск |date=24 November 2009 |accessdate=11 August 2010 |language=Russian }}{{Dead link|date=May 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and aimed at linking the European part of Russia with the Urals, Siberia and the Far East.<ref name="minprom.ulgov.ru">{{Cite web|url=http://www.minprom.ulgov.ru/news/27.html |title=30 апреля на строящемся мостовом переходе через реку Волга в Ульяновске будет установлено последнее пролетное строение. |date=29 April 2009 |publisher=Government of Ulyanovsk Region |accessdate=11 August 2010 |language=Russian}}</ref>
The design of the bridge began in 1980,<ref name="izvestia.ru">{{Cite web|url=http://www.izvestia.ru/news/news221952 |script-title=ru:Новый мост открылся в Ульяновске в тестовом режиме |date=17 November 2009 |accessdate=11 August 2010 |language=Russian}}</ref> and the construction in 1986, originally planned to take nine years.<ref name="minprom.ulgov.ru" /> The first pillars were installed in 1988, and the first span in 1992.<ref name="minprom.ulgov.ru" /> It cost a total of 38.4 billion rubles (2008 prices).<ref name="minprom.ulgov.ru" />
The opening ceremony took place on 24 November 2009, and was attended by the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan.<ref name="kremlin.ru">{{Cite web|url=http://www.kremlin.ru/news/6084 |script-title=ru:Церемония открытия первой очереди Волжского мостового перехода |date=24 November 2009 |accessdate=11 August 2010 |language=Russian}}</ref> At this stage only the first part of the bridge was opened; the lower tier of the bridge was scheduled to open in 2012.<ref name="izvestia.ru" /> It took more than 23 years to build the bridge;<ref name="minprom.ulgov.ru" /> completion was delayed significantly due to lack of funding and economic difficulties following Russia's transition after the collapse of the Soviet Union.<ref name="rg.ru" /> {{wide image|New Ulyanovsk Bridge.jpg|860px|align-cap=center}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{Commons category-inline|President Bridge}}
{{S-start}} {{S-ach|rec}} {{S-bef|before=Yuribey Bridge}} {{S-ttl|title=Russia’s longest bridge|years=2009–2012}} {{S-aft|after=South overpass of the<br/> Western High-Speed Diameter}} {{s-end}}
Category:Road bridges in Russia Category:Bridges completed in 2009 Category:Buildings and structures in Ulyanovsk Oblast Category:Bridges across the Volga River Category:Transport in Ulyanovsk Oblast