Staro-Nikolsky Bridge

The Kryukov Canal, one of the first artificial waterways in Saint Petersburg, was dug in 1719–1720 under the supervision of the senior contractor of the construction works, Semyon Kryukov, after whom it was named. Until the 1780s, the canal connected the Neva and Moika rivers; between 1782 and 1787, it was extended to the Fontanka River, and the canal banks were clad in granite.

In the same years, six identical bridges were built across the Kryukov Canal according to a standard design. These were three-span structures with wooden beam spans and a central drawbridge span of the lifting type, resting on stone piers with granite cladding. One of these was the bridge built in 1786 in the alignment of Sadovaya Street. It was named Nikolsky after the nearby Nikolsky Naval Cathedral.

According to some sources, the new crossing was initially called Pereshivkin Bridge, after a nearby tavern (other sources attribute this name to the neighboring Pikalov Bridge over the Griboedov Canal). Since 1849, the crossing has been known as the Staro-Nikolsky Bridge, in contrast to the nearby Novo-Nikolsky Bridge over the Ekaterininsky Canal.

The bridge was repeatedly repaired and rebuilt. In the early 19th century, the lifting drawbridge span was replaced with a fixed one, and in 1842 new railings made of metal rods on granite pedestals were installed on the bridge.

In 1887, the Staro-Nikolsky Bridge was rebuilt in wood due to the widening of Sadovaya Street and the laying of a horse-drawn railway (konka). The beams of the span structure were replaced with double-height girders on keys, the abutments and intermediate supports were relaid. The work on relaying the supports was carried out in a dry pit—the canal bed was blocked off with wooden partitions and water was pumped out using pumps. During the reconstruction, a temporary wooden crossing was built nearby. On October 11, 1887, the bridge was solemnly opened in the presence of the city governor, the city head, and members of the administration, who after the consecration made a trial trip in a konka carriage.

At the beginning of the 20th century, horse-drawn trams in the streets of Petersburg were replaced by electric trams, and the bridges required reconstruction. In 1905–1906, the wooden Staro-Nikolsky Bridge was rebuilt according to the design of engineers A.P. Pshenitsky, K.V. Yefimyev, and V.A. Bers. The span structure was made of riveted metal beams, the piers and abutments of the bridge were relaid and widened, resulting in the bridge width increasing from 13.6 meters to 20.2 meters. The new metal railing lattice with a floral ornament became a decoration of the crossing.

On September 21, 1906, the Staro-Nikolsky Bridge was put into operation.

The Staro-Nikolsky Bridge stood without major repairs for almost 100 years and by the beginning of the 21st century was in unsatisfactory condition. In December 2003, it was closed for major repairs, and a temporary pedestrian crossing was built nearby. During the reconstruction carried out by LLC "Rizalit," the metal structures of the span were repaired, the abutments and piers of the bridge were reinforced, a reinforced concrete slab was installed at the base of the roadway, waterproofing and the roadway surface were replaced, new tram tracks were laid, and the railings of the bridge were restored. On October 21, 2004, the crossing was reopened after reconstruction.

The Staro-Nikolsky Bridge spans the Kryukov Canal at the alignment of Sadovaya Street, connecting Spassky and Pokrovsky Islands. It is a three-span structure 31.6 meters long and 20.4 meters wide, intended for automobile traffic, trams, and pedestrians.

The span structure is a metal beam-continuous system consisting of 8 steel I-beams with a curved outline of the lower flange, connected by transverse beams. A reinforced concrete slab is arranged on top of the beams. The abutments and river piers are rubble masonry with massive granite cladding. The sidewalks are cantilevered and separated from the roadway by a high granite parapet. The railing is made of metal with artistic forging.

Near the Staro-Nikolsky Bridge is the historic building of the Nikolsky Market, built in 1787–1789 by an unknown architect in the neoclassical style. In the 1880s, the "Obzhorny Row" was moved from the Sennoy Market to Nikolsky: wooden tables under a canopy stood along the Kryukov Canal, where seasonal workers—masons, carpenters, painters, plasterers—had their meals.

After 1917, the market premises were occupied by a production association for the manufacture of enameled cookware. From 2007 to 2018, the building was under restoration, after which the public center "Nikolskie Ryady" opened there.

Sources:

https://mostotrest-spb.ru/jubilees/staro-nikolskij-most-143