Construction of additional crossings across the Dnipro begins in Kyiv: the first to open in early 2027

Kyiv has begun constructing additional crossings across the Dnipro River. The first of these, according to Ukraine's Minister of Restoration, Infrastructure, and Transport Mykola Kalashnyk, will begin operating in early 2027. The head of the agency announced this during the hour of questions to the government, emphasizing that the decision was made against the backdrop of systematic strikes on the country's bridge infrastructure.

Background: Systematic attacks on bridges

Kalashnyk noted that over the past month, Russia has been systematically attacking Ukraine's bridge infrastructure in an attempt to disrupt transport links and logistics. According to him, massive damage has been recorded in Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, and Kharkiv. 'There is no time to waste, so we must make operational decisions,' the minister stated.

Government project: 21 crossings

Among the decisions adopted is a government project providing for the rapid construction of alternative bridge crossings across rivers, including the Dnipro. In total, according to the minister, the implementation of 21 bridge crossings is planned, and work in Kyiv has already begun. The central authorities have taken on all of this work.

Emergency measures: Dams and pontoon crossings

Simultaneously, the government decided to begin building reserve dams and pontoon crossings across the Dnipro. As Kalashnyk clarified, these are embankment dams with pontoon structures designed to ensure communication between the banks if existing bridges are damaged. The decision to create reserve infrastructure was made following a coordination meeting with the president; the ministry, the Restoration Agency, the military, and the capital's authorities are involved in the work. According to the minister's assessment, the construction of such crossings can take up to three months.

Throughput capacity and prospects

The new structures must provide at least half the throughput capacity of existing bridges — about 600,000 cars pass through Kyiv's bridges daily. In the long term, in addition to reserve crossings, the authorities are also considering the construction of a tunnel under the Dnipro.