The bridge was made of four steel pipes half a meter in diameter and covered with steel plates.
The thieves, who stole the bridge most likely to sell it for scrap, worked at night when there was no one around, which enabled them to dismantle and remove the heavy construction, a spokesman said.
Local workers arrived at the bridge on Saturday morning to discover that the only direct route to a thermal power station had disappeared. Now the drivers will have to find alternative routes to work, the spokesman added.
"The total loss sustained to the bridge-owner by the theft is estimated at 400,000 rubles ($16,000). However, repair works will cost the energy company over a million rubles ($40,500)," the spokesman said.
The new bridge will be made of reinforced concrete, instead of steel, and repair works will take at least a month, the spokesman added.
