At the moment, work is being done on the railway parking lot. This event, without exaggeration, is long-awaited: the improvement was promised to begin last year, but the square remained untouched for two construction seasons. And only at the end of the current calendar autumn, when snow had already fallen in the city, the reconstruction still began.
It should be recalled that nearly a year and a half has passed since the station square in Murmansk was transferred from the City Council of Deputies to the ownership of the region. This was necessary so that the joint-stock company “Russian Railways” (RZD) could quickly reconstruct this “tired” territory for a long time. But after the transfer, everything stopped. The first movements on the square began only in the second half of October 2022. A signal strip was placed near the parking lot opposite the station, and the owners of cars parked there found notes under the wipers asking them to remove cars that interfere with the reconstruction. The parking lot is now free of traffic, with a banner waving next to it that promises “soon it will be beautiful here.” In places, the old asphalt has already been cut away and the side stone has been dismantled. Asphalting of some sections of the square has begun. Asphalt rollers, a loader and other construction equipment could be seen on the snow covered area.
Recall that according to the project, which was shown at the time by the railwaymen, parking in front of the station should not only decrease – part of the former area will be occupied by flower beds, benches and small architectural forms – but also become paid. At the time, this seriously agitated the public, as there were not enough parking spaces in the city center, but the railway officials assured that they would ensure transport accessibility to the station.
In addition, according to the idea of the benefactors, the railway and the bus station should be united and special covered galleries for boarding buses should be built – a pavilion with panoramic windows. It is true that the idea of installing a light structure was criticized by the residents of Murmansk from the beginning, but representatives of the Russian Railways assured that they are open to suggestions and are ready to consider other options. For example, for the bus station to become an architectural continuation of the railway. It seems the residents of Murmansk will be surprised which idea will eventually be implemented. By the way, how soon they will capture this part of the Station Square is also unknown. In September, a stop for intercity buses was placed on the upper platform.
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