Tumen River Bridge connecting Korea and China

Construction on a new bridge over a river separating China and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) has started, authorities of northeast China’s Jilin Province commented last week.

With a total investment of 137 million yuan ($21.93 million), the 804.7-meter new Tumen River bridge is expected to open in 2015 or 2016 as a new route for bilateral trade, authorities said.  The bridge will be entirely funded by China and construction will begin soon.

The old Tumen River bridge has not been repaired for many years and is facing safety risks. However, the old bridge will not be dismantled and will be kept as a scenic spot.

China has also been building another major bridge connecting Dandong to North Korean city of Sinuiju across the Amnok river (Yalu River in China).

At present, the site measurement and a geologic survey of the cross-border bridge have been finished. When complete, it is expected to enable even closer ties for bilateral trade between Northeast China and the DPRK. The old Tumen River Bridge is an important channel between China and the DPRK. With frequent trade activities, more and more heavy vehicles pass over the bridge each day.

Tumen is located in north Jilin and linked to the DPRK by both highway and railway.

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