BLAGOVESHCHENSK/BEIJING (Sputnik) — The construction of a bridge across the Amur River connecting the Russian city of Blagoveshchensk and China’s Heihe has begun in Blagoveshchensk area, a representative of the Russian regional government said Saturday.
"A solemn opening ceremony was held. The construction of the cross-border bridge across the Amur River was commenced," the representative told RIA Novosti.
The governor of Russia's Amur Region, Alexander Kozlov, and representatives of authorities of the Chinese Heilongjiang province took part in the ceremony, according to the Representative.
The bridge would increase the turnover of cargo by approximately 10 million tonnes and significantly shorten the distance for shipments through Heilongjiang to Moscow and Khabarovsk.
Russia and China also plan to construct another bridge across the Amur River, between the city of Tongjiang in China's Heilongjiang Province and Nizhneleninskoye in Russia’s Jewish Autonomous Region.