News

Bridge can collapse with passing spent nuclear fuel train in Severodvinsk

Publish date: October 1, 2004

All nuclear spent fuel trains pass the dangerous bridge on its way to the reprocessing plant in South Urals.

According to the specialists, Yagrinsky Bridge in Severodvinsk connecting Zvezdochka plant engaged in nuclear submarine dismantling, with the ”continent”. The bridge was built 50 years ago and according to the former Science Research Institute ”Promtransproject”, where it was designed, the bridge moved horizontally and the main bridge girders lost the possibility for temperature expansion. In other words the bridge can collapse when the heavy trains with spent nuclear fuel or scrap metal pass, daily MK in Arkhangelsk reports.


Zvezdochka’s press secretary Nadezhda Scherbinina said to Regnum.ru that the shipyard’s management is constantly raises the issue of the bridge problem at the meetings with the foreign partners. The cost of the repairs is kept secret. The state budget has no money for the bridge repairs, so there is a possibility that the bridge can be repaired in the frames of G8 Global Partnership program, as it also stipulates safety of the place where dismantling takes place. Scherbinina confirmed the need of the reconstruction but denied the possibility of the nuclear accident claiming that before each train with nuclear fuel passes, a thorough technical evaluation is conducted. She states the bridge cannot collapse now or even in 3 years. ”It just can’t happen” she said to Regnum.ru.