MOSCOW, September 7. /TASS/. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and his North Korean counterpart Pak Thae Song have opened a road bridge across the Tumannaya River on the border between the two countries.

The ceremony marking the completion of construction of the bridge on the border with the DPRK is taking place on Monday. The heads of government of the two states launched traffic on the bridge, which is named after Red Army officer and DPRK Hero of Labor Yakov Novichenko, via video link.

The agreement on the project’s implementation was signed in 2024 in the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. In April 2025, Mishustin and Pak Thae Song launched construction.

A railway route operates across the Friendship Bridge over the Tumannaya River, but it was insufficient to meet transport needs. The road bridge will facilitate year-round traffic.

The new bridge is expected to enable businesses to significantly increase transport volumes and cut transportation costs, ensuring reliable and stable supplies of various products, which will contribute to expanding trade and economic cooperation between the two countries.

The total length of the bridge crossing is almost 5 km, with the bridge itself spanning around 1 km. Two traffic lanes are available for vehicles. Additionally, the Khasan automobile border crossing point has been built, with the project providing for 10 traffic lanes. Once the border crossing point reaches full capacity, it will be able to handle 300 vehicles and over 2,300 people per day, the Russian government’s press service has said.