North Korea and Russia complete first road bridge linking countries

For nearly seven decades, the only physical connection between Russia and North Korea was a single rail bridge built in 1959. Now there’s a road to go with it. The Yakov Novichenko Bridge, spanning the Tumen River between Russia’s Khasan area and North Korea’s Tumangang region near Rason, officially opened on September 7, 2026. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and North Korean Premier Pak Thae-song participated in the opening ceremony via video link. From handshake to highway in 16 months The bridge traces its origins to a summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in June 2024. That meeting produced the agreement to build the crossing, and construction kicked off on April 30, 2025. The original timeline called for completion by mid-June 2026. Delays on the Russian side pushed the finish line back a few months, but roughly 16 months after breaking ground, vehicle traffic began rolling across. At an estimated cost of around 9 billion rubles, or approximately $104 million, the bridge is designed to handle up to 300 vehicles and between 2,300 and 2,850 pedestrians per day. The Russian checkpoint alone features 10 lanes for managing traf...