Today Metinvest Group reopened the railway bridge over the Kalchik River between Sartana and Mariupol stations, which was blown up in a terrorist attack in December 2014. Ukrzaliznytsia started using its two railway lines for passenger and freight traffic. Metinvest Group completed reconstruction of the bridge on 20 October.
Restoration of this key railway link in the region will ensure normal operations at the Group’s Mariupol-based steel plants, enhance the safety and convenience of passenger transportation and allow for discontinuation of the use of an old single-track bridge.
Metinvest invested UAH 16 million in the project instead of the planned amount of UAH 12 million. The company dismantled bridge spans and damaged structures, installed pillars, built new metal sections and concrete bridge spans for the bridge. Reconstruction works took three months. Ukrzaliznytsia built new rail tracks and installed new electricity lines.
On 20 October, the first freight train carrying products from Azovstal crossed the bridge from Sartana station to Mariupol port.
The railway bridge that connected the Mariupol-based steel plants and Mariupol trading port was blown up on 23 December 2014.
In July 2015, Metinvest Group made a decision to restore the bridge and fund reconstruction.
Metinvest Group CEO Yuriy Ryzhenkov:
“We are gradually rebuilding infrastructure damaged by shelling in Donbass. We are reconstructing homes and repairing schools and hospitals. Steelmakers cannot stand aside in times like this. Despite our extremely difficult financial situation, we are doing everything we can so that locals can feel our support and believe in a better future.”