China and North Korea hoped to finally finish a multi-million dollar cross-border bridge this year, even pushing through the global COVID-19 pandemic to accelerate construction. 

But now, it appears that construction work to complete the Dandong-Sinuiju New Yalu River Bridge has stopped again — likely due to a recent North Korean crackdown on border activity. 

The new border measures are likely intended to prevent an outbreak of COVID-19 during upcoming, large-scale celebrations slated for a major national holiday in October.

China completed construction on the twin-tower cable-stayed bridge in 2013, but it sat unused for six years, ultimately leading to an open field on the North Korean side. 

BRIDGE TO … SOMEWHERE?

The latest signs of stalled work on the bridge-opening project appeared in mid-August this year, according to Planet Labs satellite imagery.   

Timelapse of construction progress in 2020 on the connecting highway and an adjacent project | Images: Planet Labs

Construction activity in a large area around the size of 85 football fields — where dirt was being moved and foundations were being prepared for building — stopped between Aug. 6 and Aug. 11. The land is located directly beside a partially-built highway connected to the bridge.

The area is large enough to house not only North Korean customs facilities, but possibly even a Chinese-owned special economic zone (SEZ) that has been in the works for years.

No new construction or other changes were detected in the imagery through Sept. 24.

When work on the connecting highway between the terminus of the New Yalu River Bridge and an existing North Korean highway began in Sept. 2019, it appeared plans to open the bridge would finally be realized.

Workers even began to pave the new road in April of this year. But only the North Korea-bound lanes ever appeared to be fully paved, and even that side of the road has not been painted.

COVID-19 CONCERNS

A Chinese company is reportedly in charge of building the connecting highway on North Korean territory, and vehicles have been filmed moving from China across the bridge during construction.

This means that exceptions were likely made to keep construction going after the DPRK closed its borders in January, despite state media frequently warning about the risks of infection posed by potential cross-border movements.

But it appears that construction finally fell victim to new border controls, which were reported to take effect in August along the Sino-DPRK border and in other parts of North Korea.

Analysts have interpreted the restrictions as Pyongyang seeking to prevent an outbreak of COVID-19 during their upcoming Oct. 10 Party Foundation Day holiday, where tens of thousands of North Koreans are expected to gather for performances in close quarters.

Construction may resume after the holiday or after the Eighth Party Congress scheduled for Jan. 2021 — another major event that Pyongyang can’t afford to see disrupted by the virus.

Edited by Kelly Kasulis