Russia, North Korea Open First Road Bridge Linking Border Cities
First road bridge creates a new transport link between Russia and North Korea.
Russia and North Korea have opened their first dedicated road bridge, establishing a direct road connection between the two countries across the Tumen River. The Yakov Novichenko Bridge, also known as the Tumen River Road Bridge, opened to vehicle traffic on September 7, 2026. It connects Khasan on the Russian side with Tumangang in North Korea, creating a new route for road transport between the neighbouring countries.
The bridge stretches 1,005 metres across the Tumen River and has two traffic lanes, with the road deck measuring seven metres in width. Around 581 metres of the structure lies on the North Korean side, while the remaining 424 metres is on the Russian side. The crossing is located approximately 415 metres east of the existing Korea-Russia Friendship Bridge, a railway bridge that has served as the main connection between the two countries since it was commissioned in 1959.
The new road link addresses a long-standing limitation in transport between Russia and North Korea. Until now, the railway bridge was the only established crossing, although road vehicles could use it under special arrangements involving temporary planks placed between the railway tracks. The dedicated bridge now provides vehicles with a purpose-built route, while also linking Khasan with North Korea's Tumangang and creating a road transit connection between Vladivostok and Chongjin.
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On the Russian side, a 2.4-kilometre road around Khasan is being constructed to connect the new bridge with the existing road network. Border checkpoints are also being established on both sides of the crossing. The bridge has been designed to handle up to 300 vehicles and around 2,323 people per day. Russian officials have indicated that trucks will begin using the crossing for cargo transport, while passenger traffic is expected to become fully operational by the end of 2026.
The bridge is named after Yakov Novichenko, a Soviet Red Army officer who holds a symbolic place in North Korean history. According to accounts cited by Pyongyang, Novichenko protected North Korea's first leader, Kim Il Sung, during an assassination attempt in 1946 by intercepting a grenade. The opening of the bridge marks a significant expansion of the physical transport links between Russia and North Korea, giving the two countries their first purpose-built road connection across their shared border.
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