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A bridge over troubled waters. Russia opens a new bridge to Abkhazia sending another chilling message to Georgia

25 January 2012

The Russian President Dimirti Medvedev and the President of Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia yesterday attended the commissioning of a new bridge connecting the territory to the Russian city of Sochi.

A new highway bridge has been opened in Sochi, on the border with Abkhazia, sources from the Russian Border Agency (Rosgranitsa) told Itar-Tass on Wednesday.

At the moment the bridge operates in a test mode. Its capacity is 1,500 vehicles a day, including 1,200 motor vehicles, 100 buses and 140 trucks. It was built within the framework of modernization of the international motor checkpoint Adler. The project also envisages the construction of a new pedestrian terminal. Pedestrians, buses, motor vehicles and trucks will be undergoing customs control procedures separately. Vehicles will move on six lanes in each direction. Three separate lanes are designed for trucks and one - for tourist buses.

The construction of checkpoint's pedestrian section with the capacity of up to 30,000 people daily will also be finished this year.

The bridge is seen in Georgia as the latest Russian provocation and part of the ongoing process of bringing Abkhazia within the Russian sphere. Russia continues to push political, economic and infrastructural integration of Abkhazia in its system whilst ostensibly supporting its independence.

source: commonspace.eu with Itar-Tass

photo: President Medvedev greets the Abkhaz leader, Alexandr Ankvab at the bridge in Adler (picture courtesy of the Press Service of the President of Russia)

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