Technical Inspection of Lybidska-Demiivska Tunnel to Be Completed by Beginning of March

On December 18, ME Kyiv Metro published an agreement for the inspection and determination of the technical condition of the metro tunnel between the stations Demiivska and Lybidska. The cost of services was estimated at UAH 733,600, and the deadline was March 1, 2024. It was directly ordered from SE State Research Institute of Building Constructions. The signing of the contract without a tender was explained by the fact that the calculations had to be carried out in a short time, and their urgency was due to the safety of transport.

For these funds, the State Research Institute of Building Constructions shall:

• get acquainted with the object and the available documentation;
• compile data on defects;
• determine the strength and degree of carbonization of the concrete of the frame and tunnel;
• determine the depth of reinforcement corrosion;
• conduct vibrodynamic studies of the tunnel frame during the movement of trains and without it;
• provide recommendations for reducing the vibration effect and further operation;
• perform mathematical calculations;
• draw up an appropriate report with a conclusion.

In addition, in October, the metro ordered Ukrtechexpertiza LLC to inspect the bridge of the Livoberezhna station for UAH 180,000. In 2022, the same calculations were ordered for the trestle of the metro bridge across the Dnipro of the Syretsko-Pecherska line and the Svyatoshynsko-Brovarska line. The contractors of SE Research Institute of Construction Production and LLC Company Promexpert were paid UAH 2 mln and UAH 810,000, respectively.

On the afternoon of December 8, the Kyiv Metro stopped the movement of trains between Demiivska and Teremky stations due to the need for urgent repair of the tunnel. One of the tunnels between Demiivska and Lybidska is in the worst condition; it got filled with water and has cracks. To unload the transport network, on December 13, a shuttle traffic was launched from Teremky to Demiivska with an interval of 15–30 minutes.

As reported by the Kyiv City State Administration, according to preliminary calculations, the restoration of the tunnel can take up to 6 months. The works will be carried out on the ground surface. In addition, Ruslan Kandybor, the Director of the Department of Transport Infrastructure of the Kyiv City State Administration, stated that stopping the movement of metro trains helped to avoid an emergency.

Later, the media reported about the subsidence near the Demiivska metro station. In response, Viktor Brahinskyi, the head of the ME Kyiv Metro, noted that since the traffic ceased in this area, the subsidence actually stopped.

In addition, Suspilne, referring to the comment of Andrii Vitrenko, the Chair of the Kyiv City Council Standing Committee on Budget, Socio-Economic Development, and Investment Activity, reported in the United News marathon that the red branch of the metro could be partially closed for repair if the inspection confirmed the emergency condition of the Metro bridge. However, the Kyiv City State Administration denied such information, adding that it was planned to strengthen bridge supports the following year and that that would not affect the work of the metro. The red line of the metro will work as usual.

The ME Kyiv Metro announced a procuring transaction for testing the load-bearing structures of the trestle of the metro bridge on the green line.

The material was prepared within the framework of the USAID/UK aid TAPAS Project/Transparency and Accountability in Public Administration and Services.