New Yalu River Bridge
{{Short description|Bridge between North Korea and China}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox bridge
|bridge_name= New Yalu River Bridge
|image=Boundary River Highway Bridge of Sino-Korean Yalu River.jpg
|caption= New Yalu River Bridge in September 2016
|official_name= {{native name|zh-hans|新鸭绿江大桥}}
{{native name|ko|조중압록강다리}}
|also_known_as= Korea-China Amnok River Bridge
|carries= AH1
|crosses= Yalu River
|locale= Dandong, Liaoning, China
Sinŭiju, North P'yŏngyan, North Korea
|maint=
|id=
|design= long bridge
|mainspan=
|length={{convert|3|km|ft||abbr=on}}
|width=
|height=
|clearance=
|below=
|traffic=
|begin = October 2011
|complete =
|open= November 2015
|closed=
|toll=
|material=
|coordinates={{coord|40|2|8|N|124|22|10|E|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
}}
File:New Yalu River Bridge - Under Construction, June 2012.jpg
The New Yalu River Bridge ({{lang-zh|新鸭绿江大桥}}), or Korea-China Amnok River Bridge ({{langx|ko|조중압록강다리}}), is a road bridge across the Yalu River between Dandong, Liaoning Province, China, and Sinuiju, North Korea. The cable-stayed bridge, which is {{convert|3|km|mi|sp=us}} long including the supporting roads, is intended as a replacement for the Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge. Construction began in October 2011[http://www.hudong.com/wiki/%E6%96%B0%E9%B8%AD%E7%BB%BF%E6%B1%9F%E5%A4%A7%E6%A1%A5?prd=so_1_doc New Yalu River Bridge (Hudong Encyclopedia)] (in Chinese) and is mostly complete and connected with Xingdan Road, but the project stalled between 2014 and 2019, with work unfinished on the North Korean side.{{cite news |title=China built a $350 million bridge that ends in a dirt field in North Korea |first=Nathaniel |last=Lee |date=5 May 2017 |journal=Business Insider |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/china-built-bridge-north-korea-new-yalu-bridge-trade-2017-5}} By 2021, construction on the North Korean side has been mostly completed, with the bridge being expected to open soon.
Construction history
The New Yalu River Bridge was built as a replacement for the Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge, one of two other bridges in the area, to improve travel and trade between the two countries. The Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge, which opened in 1943, is only wide enough for a single rail track and a single reversible lane. It also cannot carry trucks over 20 tonnes.{{Cite web|title=中朝新鸭绿江大桥实现合龙预计2014年通车|url=http://www.gov.cn/jrzg/2014-01/14/content_2566645.htm|access-date=2021-10-06|website=www.gov.cn}}
Plans to build the New Yalu River Bridge were approved by North Korea during a visit of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao to the country in 2010.{{Cite web|date=2016-11-13|title=Bridge to nowhere?|url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/opinion/2024/05/638_218098.html|access-date=2021-10-06|website=The Korea Times|language=en}} The bridge would be part of a development project including free trade zones on North Korean islands in the Yalu river.{{Cite web|date=2012-02-20|title=China's Embrace of North Korea: The Curious Case of the Hwanggumpyong Island Economic Zone|url=https://www.38north.org/2012/02/hgp021712/|access-date=2021-10-06|website=38 North|language=en}}
Construction of the New Yalu River Bridge began in 2011, reportedly cost China US$350 million to complete,{{cite news |title=china's $350m bridge gets scant North Korean welcome |first=Eric |last=Talmadge |publisher=Associated Press |date=17 November 2014 |via=Aiken Standard |url=http://www.aikenstandard.com/news/china-s-m-bridge-gets-scant-north-korean-welcome/article_17948913-bff6-584b-a59d-06f729d34cb9.html}} and has multiple lanes to carry traffic in both directions.
It was originally planned to open in 2014, but due to delays on the North Korean side, the opening has been postponed indefinitely, as the bridge ended in a field outside of Sinuiju, North Korea.{{cite news |title=China Just Built A Massive $350 Million Bridge That Ends In A Dirt Field In North Korea |first1=Devan |last1=Joseph |agency=Associated Press |date=19 November 2014 |journal=Business Insider |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/china-north-korea-350-million-bridge-2014-11}} In October 2017, Yonhap reported that North Korea has demanded that "Beijing to cover more of the costs of building the border bridge".{{Cite news|url=https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2017/12/28/Report-North-Korea-soldier-has-no-recollection-of-daring-escape/6561514481083/|title=Report: North Korea soldier has no recollection of daring escape|work=UPI|access-date=2017-12-28|language=en}}
In June 2019, Chinese Communist Party general secretary Xi Jinping pledged to pay for roads and customs posts on the North Korean side of the bridge, according to unnamed sources.{{cite news|last=Hirai|first=Yoshikazu|date=29 July 2019|title=China to fund costs so bridge to North Korea can open to traffic|journal=Asahi Shimbun|url=http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201907290040.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107224651/https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201907290040.html|archive-date=2020-11-07}}
In late September 2019, the construction for road links and customs posts on the North Korean side of the bridge began.{{cite news | url=https://www.nknews.org/pro/homes-demolished-in-path-of-long-stalled-sino-dprk-bridge-to-nowhere-imagery/ | title=Homes demolished in path of long-stalled Sino-DPRK "bridge to nowhere": imagery | first=Colin | last=Zwirko | date=26 September 2019 | publisher=NK Pro | accessdate=16 November 2019 }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.nknews.org/pro/work-continues-on-dprk-side-to-connect-long-stalled-cross-border-bridge-with-china/|title = Work continues on DPRK side to connect long-stalled cross-border bridge with China|date = 8 October 2019}} By April 2020 the project was reportedly near completion.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=April 27, 2020|title=N. KOREA PREPARES BRIDGE CONNECTING WITH CHINA / KBS뉴스(News)|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77il8GedX5Y|access-date=June 27, 2020|website=YouTube}} In mid-August 2020, the project was stopped again.{{cite news |last1=Zwirko |first1=Colin |title=Work on China-DPRK 'bridge to nowhere' stops amid new COVID-19 border controls |url=https://www.nknews.org/pro/work-on-china-dprk-bridge-to-nowhere-stops-amid-new-covid-19-border-controls/ |accessdate=25 September 2020 |work=NK News |date=September 25, 2020}} In October 2020, the project works restarted again.{{cite news |last1=Zwirko |first1=Colin |title=China-DPRK 'bridge to nowhere' closer to opening as highway work restarts |url=https://www.nknews.org/pro/china-dprk-bridge-to-nowhere-closer-to-opening-as-highway-work-restarts/ |accessdate=13 April 2021 |work=NK News |date=October 30, 2020}}
According to sources cited by South Korean newspaper Dong-a Ilbo, the works were planned to be completed during the first half of 2020, but delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite web|date=2020-05-04|title=新鸭绿江大桥为6年来首次开通"加速"|url=https://www.donga.com/cn/article/all/20200504/2054068/1|access-date=2021-10-06|website=www.donga.com|language=zh-cn}} In October 2021, Yonhap reported that the bridge ramps on the Korean side were completed since, and that the bridge would be opened soon, as North Korea would restart border trade.{{Cite web|last=전인경|date=2021-04-11|title=消息：朝中边境或于月内解封 {{!}} 韩联社|url=https://cn.yna.co.kr/view/MYH20210411004900881|access-date=2021-10-06|website=韩联社（韩国联合通讯社）|language=zh}}