Recent commercial satellite imagery shows that the new road bridge connecting North Korea and Russia has reached a major milestone: construction work from opposite banks of the Tumen River meeting in the middle.
Construction of the bridge, which reportedly costs around $100 million, began in March 2025 and is expected to open to traffic later this year. It supplements an existing railway bridge and for the first time, will enable vehicular traffic to cross between Russia and North Korea.
Previous reporting from January 2026 indicated that work on the bridge footings had progressed, but were temporarily damming the river to flow through an opening just 40 meters wide. Imagery from February 9 shows a gap of around 210 meters between bridge decking that had already been laid. By late February, medium resolution imagery showed the two sides were close to meeting. On high resolution imagery from March 10, the decking may have been physically connected, or there may remain a small gap between the two sides.
Figure 1. Imgery from February 9 shows the Tumangang road bridge between North Korea and Russia has yet to be connected. Image © 2026 Planet Labs, PBC cc-by-nc-sa 4.0. For media licensing options, please contact [email protected].
Figure 2. Imgery from March 10 shows the Tumangang road bridge between North Korea and Russia has been connected. Image © 2026 Planet Labs, PBC cc-by-nc-sa 4.0. For media licensing options, please contact [email protected].
Even with the two sides connected, or close to being connected, there remains much work to be done. A road surface will need to be added to the deck, which is likely made of steel. Road markings and possibly lighting will also need to be added.
On the Russian side, a larger customs area is under construction. On the North Korean side of the bridge, a probable customs building stands at the end of the bridge and a likely cargo warehouse has been constructed nearby.
Figure 3. Customs area under construction on Russian side of the Tumangang road bridge on imagery from March 10, 2026. Image © 2026 Planet Labs, PBC cc-by-nc-sa 4.0. For media licensing options, please contact [email protected].
Figure 4. Close up of North Korean side of the Tumangang road bridge on imagery from March 10, 2026. Image © 2026 Planet Labs, PBC cc-by-nc-sa 4.0. For media licensing options, please contact [email protected].
At North Korea’s current border trade crossings with China, a similar arrangement exists. Trucks from China can enter North Korea’s border area but cannot drive further into the country. Rather, they pick up and deposit goods at border warehouses. North Korean trucks then access these areas to pick up goods and transport them into the interior of the country.
