620 Million into the Water — Bridge Collapses in Oskemen

On September 1, the Shnaider Bridge over the Ulba River, connecting two parts of the city, collapsed in Oskemen, Orda.kz reports.

At 11:50 a.m., police received a call from eyewitnesses. One of the central spans of the bridge, 16.2 meters long, had fallen into the river. No one was injured. 

Access roads to the bridge have been closed. The collapse damaged the water supply system, but utility services reconnected the affected microdistrict to a backup network within two hours.

Emergency services, utility crews, police, and the Akim of the city all arrived at the scene. According to preliminary information, the destruction was caused by tree blockages carried by powerful river currents after two days of heavy rain. The Ulba’s water level rose to six meters. Structural deterioration may also have contributed.

Oskemen Akim Almat Akyshov said the incident is grounds for inspections of all bridges.

We have already invited specialists from Almaty to assess the bridge’s condition. But it is disappointing that repairs were carried out here — 600 million tenge were spent in two years. If those responsible are identified, they will be held fully accountable. We will conduct an inspection! The contractor is on site and will restore the facility under warranty obligations. We will try to restore it as soon as possible, since it eased the load on our city logistics. I believe the bridge will be restored within two or three months. But a commission has already been created, and we will await its conclusion on the causes of the incident, the Akim said.

According to the Emergency Situations Ministry, another 16.2-meter span is also at risk, already showing signs of tilting.

Continued rainfall could worsen the situation.

Deputy Head of the City Emergency Management Department Dastan Akhmetov added:

It is visually evident that the road surface is worn out. The support has also shifted. There are no casualties. Two other bridges remain in operation for the movement of people and vehicles, so the link between the two districts of the city has not been cut off. An object-scale emergency has been declared.

It should be noted that under former Oskemen Akim Zhaksylyk Omar, 20 million tenge were allocated for repairs in 2023.

Yet less than six months later, in November 2023, one of the bridge supports was destroyed, though without such severe consequences. To fix the damage, another 600 million tenge had to be allocated from the budget.

The bridge was reopened on March 22, 2024, with LLC ASIA as the contractor.

Former Akim Omar had actively promoted the project, assuring residents that the quality of the work was being monitored.

On social media, residents expressed outrage and demanded accountability not only from the former Akim but also from those who signed off on the bridge.

The Shnaider Bridge, originally built in 1978, has now experienced a bridge breakdown twice in the last two years. With only three automobile bridges crossing the Ulba River in Oskemen, the closure of one severely strains the city’s transport system.

The total cost of restoring the bridge will be determined after the commission’s report. In the past two years alone, 620 million tenge from the city budget have already been spent on its reconstruction.

Original Author: Indira Kakimova