The spokesman said the regional authorities of the Jewish Autonomous Area of the Russian Federation and those of the Chinese region of Heilongjiang had signed a joint protocol last week in the Chinese city of Harbin, to be submitted to the respective national governments for consideration. The bridge, which will be maintained and exploited jointly, will connect Russia and China near the village of Nizhneleninsk, Russia, where the Songhua River joins the Amur.
Once the bridge is operational, the Russian company Rubikon, which will be the project developer and construction manager, will be able to export 8-9.5 million metric tons of iron ore concentrate to China from its deposits in the Jewish Autonomous Area in 2010-2011, increasing to 15-17 million tons in 2012-2013.
The bridge will also become a major export gateway for other goods, including forestry products and machinery, with an estimated annual capacity of 3-5 million tons.
