China and Russia to reinforce ties with cross-border highway bridge
- Landmark moment as sections come together in project designed to encourage economic links between the two countries
Construction workers have put the last bolts in a highway bridge over the Heilongjiang River, connecting China and Russia in a flagship project to boost economic links between the two countries.
The bridge, the first of its kind between the two countries, will link the twin trading cities of Heihe in northern China and Blagoveshchensk in Russia’s Far East.
It is a key part of a 19.9km (12.4 mile) highway project and the main work is expected to be completed by the end of this year, according to state news agency Xinhua.
Once in operation, the bridge is expected to handle more than 3 million tonnes of cargo and 1.4 million passengers each year by 2020.
Friday’s milestone follows the connection of a nearby cross-border rail bridge in March.
The bridge projects are part of China’s multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative to link economies into a China-centred trading network.