The Aptekarsky Bridge is located at the source of the Karpovka River along the axis of the Petrogradskaya and Aptekarskaya Embankments and connects Petrogradsky and Aptekarsky Islands.
In 1798, a wooden bridge was built here to connect the Botanical Garden with the city. The bridge was a three-span beam structure with a wooden deck and railings made of planks and posts. The name of the crossing comes from Aptekarsky Island, which, in turn, was named in 1726 after the Aptekarsky Garden located here (now the Botanical Garden).
The bridge was repeatedly repaired in wood. In 1946, after another repair, the middle span was covered with a metal span structure. The wooden railings were replaced with metal welded grilles. The abutments, piers, and upper structure of the bridge remained wooden. The length of the bridge was 26.6 meters, the width – 12.7 meters. This is the second widest crossing in Saint Petersburg after the Blue Bridge.
The bridge is skewed in plan: the angle between the longitudinal axes of the crossing and the Karpovka River is 61 degrees.
The bridge is single-span but consists of two span structures of different designs. On the side of the Bolshaya Nevka, it is a three-hinged arch, the facade of which is decorated to resemble a solid granite vault. The length of this part of the bridge is 28.75 meters. On the side of the Karpovka River, it is a three-hinged frame made of reinforced concrete blocks. The length of this part is 22.3 meters.
The bridge abutments are massive reinforced concrete on a pile foundation, faced with granite. On the side of the Bolshaya Nevka, the facade of the bridge is decorated to resemble a granite vault.
The railing on the bridge on the Bolshaya Nevka side is installed as cast-iron grilles and granite pedestals, while on the Karpovka side it is a cast-iron grille between two end granite pedestals. The grille pattern is of the Petrogradskaya Embankment type.
In 1971-1974, due to the reconstruction of the Grenadersky Bridge, the wooden bridge was rebuilt into a single-span reinforced concrete bridge of a combined system.
Sources:
https://mostotrest-spb.ru/bridges/aptekarskij-most
