The highway bridge linking Russia and China over the Amur River is set to be operational in November. The structure is more than 1km long and is a part of a key 19.9km two-lane highway project. The $300 million construction project began in December 2016 and was completed in November 2019. It was initially expected to be brought into service in April, but the opening date was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “The infrastructure and all the services are ready. We expect that the bridge will be launched in November,” said Amur Oblast Governor Vasily Orlov.
After the route becomes operational, cargo volume could see an 8-fold increase to four million tons per year, according to Alexander Kozlov, the Russian Minister for the Development of the Far East. The new bridge should also boost tourism, however, tourists won’t initially be able to use the road as it will only be available to cargo trucks. It will take another year and a half to build a crossing point that will enable passenger transport to cross the bridge.
