FLOOD DEFENCE SYSTEM

In October 1980 the first stone with the words "Let's protect Leningrad from floods" was thrown into the waves of the Gulf of Finland near Gorskaya — that was the beginning of the construction of a flood defence system that by 1990 will protect Leningrad from floods.

In its more than 280 years of existence the city has had nearly 300 floods. Three of them, in 1777, 1824 and 1924 were catastrophic. Ever since the foundation of the city by Peter the Great in 1703 various schemes for its protection were offered by specialists. But only due to modern technology such a giant hydro-engineering project was made possible.

The starting point was the adoption of the General Plan of Leningrad development (1966) which provided for the construction of a flood defence system. 52 scientific, designing and other organizations were working out this scheme for six years.

How does the hydro-engineering complex look like?

Eleven giant dams of rock and soil (each 8 metres high above mean sea level) cross the Gulf of Finland from Gorskaya in the north to Lomonosov in the south of the Gulf through Kotlin Island (Kronstadt Fortress). Along the length of the dams there are six spillways to let the water through in normal conditions.

Ships will pass through two deep-water channels which are located on each side of the island, the 200 metres wide, southern channel will be the main. When a rise in the water level is forecast the whole automatic system will be put in action.¹ The gates which are located over the spillways will go down to close the "windows" and the gates which slide along special rails on the bottom of the channels will come out of the dock chambers and bar the way to the sea wave. It will take only 30 minutes to perform all the operations.

It should be said that the construction of such gates is a sort of revolution and has no analogy in modern world practice.

Motor-car highway — 24.4 kilometres long and 35 metres wide — runs along the top of the dams and bridges over the spillways and twice it "dives" into the tunnels under the bottom of the channels. The length of the southern tunnel is some 2,000 metres and that of the northern one is 1,400 metres.

The construction of the highway is paid great attention to ² as according to ³ the General Plan for the development of Leningrad it is to become the outer part of the 150 km ring motor-road which will be built around the city.

The complex will allow to solve the problem of Leningrad protection from floods.

Notes on the Text

1. to put in action — приводити у дію

2.to pay attention to — приділяти увагу

3.according to — згідно з

Words to Be Learn

adopt v — приймати

bridge n — міст

channel n — канал

cross v —перетинати

deep a — глибокий

defence n — захист

design n — креслення, конструкція

flood n — повінь

forecast n — передбачити

v (forecast) —заснування

foundation n — заснування

level n — рівень

locate v — розташуватися

mean a — середній

offer v — пропонувати

pass v — проходити, проїджати

perform v — виконувати

выполнять protect v — захищати ограждать rise n — підйом;

(rose; risen) — підніматися

road n — шлях

run (ran; run) v — бігти; працювати;

sea n — море

sort n — сорт, вид

through prp — через, крізь

various a — різноманітний

wave n — хвиля

way n — шлях, дорога

wide a — широкий

Завдання 1. Дайте відповіді на запитання.

1. How long were designers and engineers working at the scheme of the flood defence system?

2. What is the aim of this project?

3. Where is the giant dam located?

4. Where does the motor-car highway run?

5. Where are the tunnels for motor cars located?

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