Myllysilta

Myllysilta
Myllysilta under constuction in august 2011.
Official name	Myllysilta
Carries	4 lanes of roadway 2 sidewalks
Crosses	Aurajoki
Locale	Turku
Design	Steel girder bridge
Total length	93 m (305 ft)
Width	20.5 m (67 ft)
Clearance below	3.6 m (12 ft)
Opened	September 19, 2011
Coordinates	60°26′42.8″N 022°15′28.3″E / 60.445222°N 22.257861°E / 60.445222; 22.257861Coordinates: 60°26′42.8″N 022°15′28.3″E / 60.445222°N 22.257861°E / 60.445222; 22.257861

Myllysilta 1975–2010
Myllysilta in 2007.
Official name	Myllysilta
Carries	3 lanes of roadway 2 sidewalks
Crosses	Aurajoki
Locale	Turku
Design	prestressed concrete box girder bridge
Total length	92.7 m (304 ft)
Width	20 m (66 ft)
Clearance below	3.6 m (12 ft)
Opened	1975
Closed	March 6, 2010
Coordinates	60°26′42.8″N 022°15′28.3″E / 60.445222°N 22.257861°E / 60.445222; 22.257861

The Myllysilta (Mill Bridge) is a steel girder bridge crossing the Aurajoki (Aura River) in the middle of the city of Turku in Finland. The bridqe was opened in Septemner 19, 2011. Only two of four lanes are first in use, the bridge is scheduled to be totally completed in November, 2011, even though some landscaping and stone work will be compleded in 2012.

The bridge from 1975 to 2010

The former bridge, a prestressed concrete box girder bridge, was built in 1975 and was 92.7 metres (304 ft) long and 20 metres (66 ft) wide. The bridge connected Turku's IV district to the VII district, and had three westbound lanes and sidewalks on both sides. It was a one-way-route from east to west, while the nearby Martinsilta bridge went west to east. Myllysilta was demolished in 2010 after a structural failure.^[1]

Failure

On 6 March 2010 the bridge was closed due to structural failures of both piers.^[2][3][4] The City of Turku originally reported that the bridge would remain closed for up to a year for repairs. It was later decided to demolish it and build a new bridge.^[4] In the meantime, Martinsilta functions as a two-way bridge with two lanes designated for regular travel and one for Myllysilta's diverted traffic.

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  Sideview of Myllysilta.

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  People watching the closed Myllysilta.

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  Closed Myllysilta seen from top of the Myllytunneli.

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  Picture which shows some of the structural failure.

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  The replacement under construction in 2011 July

References

1. ^ Demolition of sagging Myllysilta Bridge begins in Turku, Helsingin Sanomat
2. ^ "Turun Myllysilta suljettu vakavien vaurioiden vuoksi" (in Finnish). Turun Sanomat. 6 March 2010. http://www.ts.fi/online/kotimaa/116157.html. 
3. ^ "Turun Myllysilta painunut jo lähes metrin" (in Finnish). Helsingin Sanomat. 6 March 2010. http://www.hs.fi/kotimaa/artikkeli/Turun+Myllysilta+saattaa+romahtaa/1135253476806. 
4. ^ ^{a b} "The Myllysilta Bridge to be Demolished and Replaced" (in English). City of Turku. 20 March 2010. http://www.turku.fi/Public/default.aspx?contentid=159304&nodeid=23. Retrieved 20 August 2010. 

This article incorporates information from this version of the equivalent article on the Finnish Wikipedia.

External links

Media related to Myllysilta at Wikimedia Commons