On the Varvarivskyi Bridge in Mykolaiv, which has been undergoing repairs for three years, concrete was first laid and then removed

Work on the Varvarivskyi Bridge as at 17 October, photo courtesy of «NikVesti» readers

On a section of the Varvarivskyi Bridge in Mykolaiv, which has been undergoing repairs since 2024, the contractor first laid concrete and then dismantled that section.

This is evidenced by a response from the Mykolaiv region Infrastructure Restoration and Development Service to an information request from NikVesti. They explained that the recently laid concrete section had been dismantled because laboratory test results showed that the work carried out did not meet quality requirements.

On 17 October, readers contacted the NikVesti editorial team, sending photographs of the work on the bridge. According to them, a concrete surface was initially laid on the section, but a few weeks later it was broken up and removed. The editorial team contacted the Service to find out the reasons for the dismantling and who would pay for the work.

Work on the Varvarivsky Bridge as at 17 October, photos from «NikVesti» readers

Work on the Varvarivsky Bridge as of 17 October, photo by readers of «NikVesti»

The department explained that this refers to a concrete drainage triangle — one of the elements installed during work on the bridge.

The drainage triangle creates the transverse gradient of the carriageway, which is necessary for water drainage. This may be a layer beneath the future tarmac, rather than a separate structure at the side of the road. A publication by Kharkiv National Automobile and Road University explains that in bridges where the girders are at the same level, such a gradient is created by adding extra layers on top of them. It is these layers that are referred to as the drainage triangle.

According to the Service, the asphalt on the section in question has not yet been laid this year: preparatory work must be completed first. However, a concrete element that had already been installed had to be reworked.

«Following its installation, the results of laboratory tests did not confirm that the work carried out met the established quality standards. In view of this, a decision was taken to dismantle the relevant section and rectify the identified defects,» the response states.

The Service did not specify exactly what defects were found or how much concrete had to be dismantled.

Regarding the costs, the department noted that the contract provides for payment only for work carried out to a high standard. However, the response does not include the cost of laying and dismantling the concrete, details of payments already made, or a clear explanation of who will cover the costs of the rework.

Response from the Service for Infrastructure Restoration and Development in the Mykolaiv region

The Varvarivsky Bridge in Mykolaiv belongs to the state

It should be recalled that, during its meeting on 13 October, the Government adopted a decision to transfer the Ingul and Pivdenno-Buzkyi (Varvarivskyi) bridges in Mykolaiv to state ownership. Following this, Mustafa Naiiem, Deputy Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine, outlined the current stage of the project for the Mykolaiv bypass bridge and the plans for the repair of the Varvarivsky and Ingul bridges.

As is well known, the Varvarivskyi Bridge in Mykolaiv forms part of the M-14 «Odesa — Melitopol — Novoazovsk» international route and is currently in a state of disrepair. In February 2020, the process of transferring the bridge from the city’s municipal ownership to the balance sheet of «Ukravtodor» began, but to date it has not yet been completed. This is because, in order for the Varvarivskyi Bridge to be transferred to state ownership, the Ministry of Finance is asking Mykolaiv to provide an estimate of the cost of reconstructing the structure. To do this, the city must carry out an expert assessment and commission design and cost estimate documentation for the bridge’s repair, the total cost of which amounts to around 20 million hryvnias. Mykolaiv’s mayor, Oleksandr Sienkevych, has stated that there are no funds allocated for this in the city budget.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is also aware of the need to repair the Varvarivskyi Bridge. In July 2019, the head of state stated that resolving the issue of the Varvarivskyi Bridge was the governor’s top priority. Four months later, during a briefing in Ochakiv, Volodymyr Zelenskyy raised this issue once again. On that occasion, he compelled the then Governor of Mykolaiv region, Oleksandr Stadnyk, to promise to repair the Varvarivskyi Bridge by the end of 2020.

Tetiana Dombrovska, a member of the Mykolaiv City Council, also took up the issue of the Varvarivskyi Bridge. In July 2021, she organised a meeting attended by the Minister of Infrastructure, Oleksandr Kubrakov, representatives of the Ministry of Finance, Ukravtodor and the city council, to sort out the issue of the bridge’s transfer. However, this too proved fruitless, as two months later the issue remained unresolved. Meanwhile, Ukravtodor stated that the allocation of funds for the repair of the Varvarivskyi Bridge would only be considered once it had been transferred to state ownership.

Meanwhile, there have been several incidents of structural failure on the bridge recently. The first occurred on 6 December, the second on 20 December. At the time, «ELU Avtodorig» reported that an emergency situation had arisen involving the structure of a section of the Varvarivskyi Bridge. A third traffic gridlock occurred due to a failure in a section of the Varvarivskyi Bridge on 2 February. On 5 April, a fourth emergency failure occurred on the Varvarivskyi Bridge. It transpired that a metal plate had come loose on the bridge.

It had also been reported earlier that, once repair work on the Varvarivskyi Bridge was complete, two-way traffic would be reintroduced on the bridge.