Ukraine and Moldova signed an agreement about the construction of a bridge on the Ukraine-Moldova border, linking the settlements of Yampil and Cosăuţi.

According to the press service of the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine, the agreement was signed by Oleksandr Kubrakov, Vice Prime-Minister of Rebuilding of Ukraine, Minister of Development of Hromadas, Territories and Infrastructure of Ukraine, and Lilia Dabija, Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development of Moldova (hromada is an administrative territorial unit including a town or village and adjacent settlements – ed.).

Signing this agreement basically prolongs the agreements, reached in 2021 by presidents of Ukraine and Moldova.

The full-scale Russian invasion slowed the implementation of the project but the critical necessity for the development of alternative logistic routes makes the project of the Yampil Bridge non-alternative.

"The bridge will become the key element of the transport corridor between Kyiv and Chişinău. In addition to this, the bridge will become the shortest route from Ukraine's centre to the countries of Central and South-Eastern Europe with a detour of the Russia-occupied Transnistriia for the Ukrainian exporters," – Kubrakov explained.

The Yampil Bridge will become an alternative to a ferry crossing at the border crossing, which has not been operating for several years and does not correspond to modern requirements and necessities of the residents of both countries.

The bridge will also reduce pressure on the international checkpoint Mohyliv-Podilskyi-Otaci, through which almost entire traffic between Ukraine and Moldova circulates.

The total length of the bridge will be over 1400 metres. The artificial construction will have two lanes of movement with pavements on both sides.

The project of the bridge also takes into account the barrier-free standards; specifically it provides for the instalment of sidewalks with low level of curb stones within crosswalks. Warning tactile stripes will be installed for the visually impaired people to navigate.

In January 2021, the President’s Office of Ukraine reported that Ukraine would finance the building of the bridge over the Dniester river, which must become a part of the highway between Kyiv and Chisinau.