Yes, for example, it is much harder to rebuild a bridge in the middle of a city than it was to build anew. Maybe that bridge was constructed in the open field and now the area around is built up. There are a lot of traffic and it should go somewhere while the bridge is closed. A lot of communication lines could go through this bridge and you have to account for it, plan for it and somehow move it while you’re rebuilding the bridge.
Can you just leave it as it is? I’m not sure, it’s a Soviet-build bridge, lots of cement was stolen during construction and now some pieces of concrete are raining down.
This exact problem happened in Montréal with the Champlain bridge, cheaply built in the 60s. A new bridge had to be built at the same place (inaugurated last year) and connected to existing infrastructure.
It seems counterintuitive to conclude "we can't afford to build this bridge in the first place, because it would be too expensive to temporarily close it". But based on your sibling's post, maybe you're right?
