First Cross-Border Road Bridge Between Russia and North Korea Officially Opens to Traffic

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On September 7, the first cross-border road bridge between Russia and North Korea was officially completed and opened to traffic. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and North Korean Cabinet Premier Pak Thae-song attended the inauguration ceremony via video link and jointly launched bridge traffic. The bridge spans the Tumen River, connecting Khasan in Russia's Primorsky Krai with the border area on the North Korean side, and is the first road crossing between the two countries.

The project agreement was signed in 2024, with construction officially commencing on April 30, 2025, and the entire construction period lasting 495 days. Russia's Ministry of Transport disclosed that the bridge's main structure was joined across the border on April 21, 2026. The main span of the new bridge is approximately 1 kilometer long, with the entire bridge corridor including connecting roads totaling nearly 5 kilometers, and the bridge deck features two lanes for two-way vehicular traffic. The project utilized over 5,000 tons of steel structures and 9,000 cubic meters of concrete, with more than 70 personnel and over 30 pieces of equipment deployed during the construction phase.

In conjunction with the bridge, the freight corridor at the Khasan border checkpoint was also put into operation. The checkpoint is planned with 10 vehicle lanes, of which 4 are for trucks, 2 for passenger cars, 2 for passenger buses, and 2 for oversized vehicles. Once the checkpoint reaches its designed capacity, it can process approximately 300 motor vehicles and 2,325 person-trips per day, with vehicle processing capacity later expandable to about 800 vehicles per day. The second phase of construction is currently underway, and upon completion, passenger crossing services will be opened.

Previously, Russia and North Korea primarily conducted overland transport via the Friendship Railway Bridge over the Tumen River. With the new road bridge in operation, a year-round road transport corridor will be established. Russia's Ministry of Transport confirmed that cross-border freight traffic was the first to be launched on September 7, while passenger transport facilities remain under construction as part of the second phase.