The Crimean Bridge that spans the Kerch Strait, a narrow strip that links the Azov and Black seas
MOSCOW, Oct 9 (NNN-Xinhua) — Traffic reopened to cars and buses with a full inspection procedure needed on the road route of the Crimean Bridge, after an explosion on the viaduct on Saturday.
Trucks are still required to cross the Kerch Strait by ferry, Crimea’s head Sergei Aksyonov said on Telegram.
Meanwhile, an initial assessment of the railway part of the Crimean Bridge has been carried out, and restoration work is underway, the Russian Ministry of Transport said.
The 19-km bridge, which consists of two parallel routes for automobiles and trains, will possibly open to trains by 8 p.m. Moscow time on Saturday, according to the ministry.
Meanwhile, the railway service on the bridge has been fully restored and all scheduled trains, both for passengers and freight, will be able to cross the viaduct, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin said on late Saturday.
Earlier in the day, a truck exploded on the road bridge, causing seven fuel tanks of a train heading to the Crimean Peninsula to catch fire.
Three people were killed in the blast, which also led to the partial collapse of two spans of the road bridge.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Saturday to strengthen measures for protecting transport crossing through the Kerch Strait, the power grid connecting Crimea and the main gas pipeline to the peninsula.
Putin authorized the Russian Federal Security Service to organize and coordinate measures to effectively protect these facilities, said the decree published by the Kremlin. — NNN-XINHUA
