PHOTO // Cosăuți temporary bridge linking Moldova and Ukraine expected to open by late 2026

Work on the temporary bridge over the Dniester River, which will link Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova near the future Yampil–Cosăuți international border crossing point, has entered a new stage. The Ukrainian company Autostrada announced that it is completing work in the Moldovan part of the riverbed and advancing toward the bank, with the goal of opening the bridge to traffic by the end of the year.

According to the company, construction is taking place around the clock. The bridge will have a total length of 276 meters, of which 180 meters have already been built. Fifteen of the 24 metal supports planned for the structure have been installed.

Each support consists of eight tubular elements and three ice-protection devices designed to reduce the impact of ice floes on the structure. The roadway will be located approximately 11 meters above the level of the Dniester River, while the bridge structure will consist of steel beams and reinforced concrete slabs with a specially profiled surface to provide better tire traction.

At the same time, access roads are being developed. On the Ukrainian side, construction of a new road approximately three kilometers long is nearing completion. The next stage will include arranging the descent toward the Moldovan bank and connecting the bridge to the existing road network in the Republic of Moldova.

After the temporary crossing opens, Ukraine’s Vinnytsia region will have a direct road connection with the municipality of Soroca. The company estimates that the new route will contribute to the development of passenger traffic and cross-border logistics.

According to data presented by Autostrada, approximately 2.25 million crossings were recorded at the border between Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova between June and August 2026, 12.9% more than during the same period last year.

The temporary bridge is also expected to create the conditions necessary for resuming construction of the permanent international bridge over the Dniester, which will be 1,309 meters long. The project was launched by Autostrada in 2021, but work was suspended following the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.