The Restoration Service is seeking a contractor to repair the Varvarivskyi Bridge in Mykolaiv for ₴88.5 million

The Varvarivskyi Bridge in Mykolaiv, archive photo by NikVesti

The Infrastructure Restoration and Development Service in the Mykolaiv region has announced a tender for the repair of part of the Varvarivskyi (Pivdenno-Buzkyi) Bridge in Mykolaiv. A total of 88.5 million hryvnias is earmarked for the works.

This is according to data from the ProZorro public procurement system.

The tender was announced on 13 May. It concerns the operational maintenance of the bridge over the Southern Bug River, located on the M-14 Odesa–Melitopol–Novoazovsk national highway.

The works will cover sections in spans 10–14 and are to be completed by 20 December 2027.

Screenshot from the ProZorro public procurement system

According to the tender documentation, the contractor is to carry out the refurbishment of part of the bridge. Specifically, the works include the removal of the old asphalt and concrete surfacing on the carriageway and pavements, the removal of construction waste, the replacement of expansion joints, the repair of the pavement area and the refurbishment of the drainage system.

Plans also include laying new asphalt surfacing on the bridge, installing new railings and modern LED lighting, fitting a rainwater drainage system, repairing the kerbs on the pavements and restoring the barrier mechanisms. In addition, once the work is complete, new road markings will be applied, and temporary road signs will be installed to manage traffic during the repairs.

Particular attention will be paid to the repair of expansion joints — these are special structures that allow the bridge to safely respond to temperature changes and traffic loads.

Participants are currently able to submit their proposals, and the winner will be selected after 21 May.

We would like to remind you that Alla Vorobiova, a member of the Mykolaiv Regional Council, has appealed to the regional patrol police leadership to ensure control over the movement of heavy goods vehicles, which cause traffic jams every morning in the Varvarivka neighbourhood.

The Mykolaiv City Council will also contact the police regarding non-compliance with traffic regulations for heavy goods vehicles crossing the Varvarivskyi Bridge.

It should be noted that in Mykolaiv, major traffic jams often form in front of the Varvarivskyi Bridge, particularly in the mornings and evenings. In February, residents reported traffic problems caused by road resurfacing works and potholes that had appeared after the winter.

Varvarivskyi Bridge

During a meeting on 13 October 2023, the government decided to transfer the Inhulskyi and Varvarivskyi bridges in Mykolaiv to state ownership. Following this, the then Deputy Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine, Mustafa Naiiem, outlined plans to repair the bridges.

In 2023, several incidents occurred on the bridge. The first took place on 6 December, the second on 20 December. At the time, ELU Avtodorig reported that an emergency situation had arisen with the structure of a section of the Varvarivskyi Bridge. A third traffic collapse occurred due to a failure of a section of the Varvarivskyi Bridge on 2 February 2024. And on 5 April, a fourth emergency failure occurred on the bridge. It turned out that a metal plate had come loose on the bridge.