The main structure of the first cross-border passenger ropeway connecting China and Russia has been completed, marking a significant step toward enhancing people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. The aerial cable car system spans the Heilongjiang River, linking Heihe City in northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province with Russia’s Blagoveshchensk.

Construction of the ropeway began in July 2019, with the project expected to reach full completion by the end of this year, according to Zhang Qijun, deputy director of the management committee of the China (Heilongjiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone’s Heihe section. The new transportation route will significantly reduce travel time across the river, cutting the journey between the two cities to just six to eight minutes.

The cable car features a horizontal crossing of 970 meters and includes two carriages, each capable of accommodating 110 passengers. Cao Xinhong, chairman of Jinlonggang Construction and Development Co, Ltd, the contractor responsible for the Chinese section, stated that the ropeway operates at a maximum speed of 12 meters per second. It is designed to handle an annual passenger throughput of approximately 2.6 million in one direction.

Heihe and Blagoveshchensk are twin border cities that have historically maintained close economic, trade, and cultural relationships. The introduction of the ropeway is expected to further facilitate and strengthen these connections, offering a more efficient and accessible mode of transport for residents and visitors on both sides of the border.