Originally published on March 4, 2014
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A bridge spanning the Kerch Strait that separates Ukraine's Crimean peninsula with Russia could soon become a reality.
Russian media reports that Prime Minister Dimitry Medvedev has signed an order to construct a Kerch Strait bridge linking Crimea and Russia.
If built, the bridge, which would span 4.5 kilometers, would be the culmination of a decade of discussion.
The span would cost an estimated US$3 billion to build and could take several years to complete.
The Strait of Kerch has long been used as a ferry route between the two nations, but the bridge project could be accelerated following the Prime Minister's announcement.
Russian media also reports that the state-owned road builder Avtordor would be responsible for the bridge project.
Critics say the sudden order to construct the bridge shows that Russia intends to keep permanent control over the Crimean peninsula.
The Moscow Times reports that negotiations about the bridge date back to 2004. The talks were stopped by changes in the Ukrainian government but began afresh in 2010.
The Moscow Times also quotes Russian Prime Minister Medvedev as saying, "Ukraine has always been and will remain an important trade and economic partner to us, and the government should work on these issues. We are following the developments closely."
The report also said Russia's state-road building corporation Avtodor, plans to create a subsidiary company to oversee the building of the bridge, which would connecting Crimea with Russia's Krasnodar region.
Currently the less-than-five-kilometer journey is made by ferry.
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