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China–North Korea: the New Yalu River Bridge

This dossier follows the opening of the new road bridge over the Yalu River between Dandong in China and Sinuiju in North Korea. It covers the crossing’s launch and documented information about its commercial use.

Last updated : 1 key moments
Archive view of the new cable-stayed Yalu River Bridge in September 2016.
The New Yalu River Bridge on September 20, 2016, before entering service. Archive image: Ajew / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. — Ajew / Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Archives du 20 septembre 2016, sans modification.

Where things stand

On October 15, 2026, the new bridge officially opens and trucks cross it. The approximately three-kilometre crossing adds a road link between the two countries after more than a decade of delay.

Confirmed

New Yalu River Bridge opens between China and North Korea

Trucks crossed the New Yalu River Bridge on October 15, 2026 as it opened between China and North Korea. Xinhua’s announcement is corroborated by observations from Reuters and AFP journalists.

Archive view of the new cable-stayed Yalu River Bridge in September 2016.
The New Yalu River Bridge on September 20, 2016, before entering service. Archive image: Ajew / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. — Ajew / Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Archives du 20 septembre 2016, sans modification.

The crossing links Dandong and Sinuiju. Approximately three kilometres long and carrying four lanes according to the Associated Press, it adds road capacity at this trade border.

The structure had remained unused for more than a decade. Reuters describes a bridge completed in 2014 while access roads and customs facilities on the North Korean side were unfinished.

The opening does not yet establish its impact on trade. Reuters reports Kyungnam University analyst Lim Eul-chul’s assessment that it is unlikely to bring an immediate return to trade levels before sanctions.

Sources 4