Pontoon crossings coming to Kyiv following Russian strikes on key bridges, media reports
A Ukrainian official said that the construction of pontoon crossings could take up to three months and would help traffic move through the capital, which remains heavily restricted after multiple bridge attacks.
Russian strikes on crucial bridges in central Kyiv have prompted the capital to plan the construction of pontoon crossings across the Dnipro River, Ukrainian media reported on October 3. Urgent solutions include a dam and a pontoon crossing, which are being built rapidly, said Ukraine's Reconstruction, Infrastructure, and Transport Minister, Mykola Kalashnyk. This effort has already commenced, with a coordination meeting held with the president.
Between October 1 and October 3, bridges over the Dnipro River in Kyiv were struck by multiple Russian drone attacks as part of Moscow's relentless assault on civilian infrastructure nationwide. The city experienced 56 air raid sirens, totaling over 87 hours of alerts, according to emergency services on October 2. Kalashnyk stated that pontoon crossing construction could take up to three months and would help restore traffic flow, which remains severely limited following the bridge attacks.
The Kyiv City Military Administration (KMDA) announced heightened movement restrictions over Kyiv's bridges during air raid warnings on October 3. On average, approximately 600,000 cars traverse the left and right banks of the Dnipro daily, and maintaining this traffic flow is a priority, Kalashnyk emphasized. Consequently, the sites for pontoon crossing construction have been identified accordingly.
Kalashnyk also hinted at exploring the feasibility of constructing underground tunnels beneath the Dnipro, although the estimated cost could reach tens of billions of hryvnias. Prior to implementing alternative crossings, he reiterated that safeguarding Kyiv's existing bridges should remain the top priority, stating, "Our first task is to provide protection from the sky, which we are doing in coordination with the military."
The first step involves preventing strikes, followed by protection, rapid recovery, and ultimately, decisions on alternative reserve crossings, or the construction of new alternative bridge infrastructure facilities. To counter Russia's increasing reliance on jet-powered attack drones, Ukraine aims to produce up to 400 interceptor drones by the end of October, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced in an interview with the Financial Times on October 2.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
