Time is money

By Saule Tasboulatova

When you drive to Atyrau from Airport on the slope of two-level road crossing a new “flower” clock has appeared. Original landscape design cost the local budget 20 mln tenge.

The funds were allocated within the framework of city development. The client is the city department of construction, housing/public utilities and roads.

Askar Shakhaev, the representative of the contracting company “Erasyl Kurylys kz», says that “flower” clock complex consists of concrete foundation, structural steel, clock mechanism with arrows and satellite navigation system (GPS).

The clock mechanism only cost 7.5 mln tenge. It was made at the Ukrainian plant and it took 1.5 months to fabricate it. The clock dimensions are as follows: 7,1х8,5 meters, the length of the hour arrow - 2,4 m, the length of the minute arrow - 2,8 м. The total weight of the clock mechanism -  about 150 kg, the weight of each arrow is about 30 kg.     

The greenery inside the ellipse is artificial grass with 700 yellow artificial flowers. Around the structure about 2000 live petunia flowers will be planted.

The massive clock mechanism is placed onto a structure weighing 5 tons and anchored down to steel supports. The mechanism is harsh weather proof and could stand extreme temperatures of +/- 50 degrees C. The vendor’s guarantee is 2 years.

Inside the concrete structure there is a small technical room where besides the clock mechanism, there are also “hidden” watering system, counter, GPS block. The clock will be powered by electricity.

- Additionally, we would like to pave the area with block stones and put steps, so that the citizens could climb the clock and take pictures,- says A. Shakhaev.

The novelty will be put into operation on July 18. There are similar clocks already installed in Astana and Almaty. And as the western businessmen would say –“Time is money and every second is a dollar”. 

Photos by Kanat Eleuov