Chinese Government provides RMB 139.59 million grant for New Tumen River Bridge Construction Project (Linked to Record ID#63578)

Project narrative

As early as 2010, a representative of the People's Congress of Jilin Province pointed out that the existing Tumen River Bridge deck and body had aged and could longer meet the current needs of passenger and cargo transportation between China and North Korea. Survey work for a new bridge was undertaken at the end of 2013. Then, on June 27, 2014, Chinese Government and the Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea signed an agreement regarding the New Tumen River Bridge Construction Project. China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOCOM) reportedly provided RMB 139,593,900 of grant funding for the project. The purpose of this project was to construct a new, 549 meter-long and 23 meter-wide bridge over the Tumen River that connects Hunchun City, Jilin Province, China, with Sonbong County, Rason, North Korea. The Old Tumen River Bridge was constructed in 1936 and it is only 30 meters upstream from the New Tumen River Bridge. Upon completion of the New Tumen River Bridge, the Old Tumen River Bridge was not to be demolished. It was to instead become a tourist attraction. Jilin Traffic Planning and Design Institute was responsible for project design and Hunchun City Circle River Bridge Construction Project Office (珲春市圈河大桥建设项目办公室) was responsible for project implementation. The project commenced on September 20, 2014 and it was completed on October 28, 2016.