Estonia and Russia’s transport minister have signed a long-awaited cooperation protocol for the construction of a new bridge spanning the Narva River. If built, the much-needed bridge will ease border crossings at the Narva-Ivangorod junction and facilitate improved trade between the two countries.


Construction of the bridge and enlargement of the border checkpoint will cost approximately €64m. A timetable will be hammered out by a working group made up of representatives from both countries. The construction of the bridge would be financed by Estonia, Russia and the EU.


The exact location of the bridge has not yet been agreed. The Russian side is suggesting a southern location, while the Estonians wanted the bridge to be built further to the north. A decision on location is expected to be made before the end of the year.


The existing Soviet-era bridge in Narva is no longer able to handle the increasing traffic, with transit vehicles causing noise pollution, vibration and congestion in the city centre. When the present checkpoint between Narva and Russia’s Ivangorod was built, its projected capacity was 100 trucks a day; now approximately 400 trucks pass through the checkpoint daily, and trucks have to wait two days to cross the border.


In 2005 the number of cars crossing the border there increased by 30% and the number of trucks 40% in comparison with 2004, with the number of trucks reaching 90,000. It is estimated that the total number of vehicles crossing the border will grow to 300,000 per year by 2010.


The Tallinn-St. Petersburg road link is one of the most intensively used transport connections between the EU and Russia. Also, the two ministers signed a preliminary agreement on concluding a bilateral railway treaty.