Russki Island bridge

On the western edge of Russia, not far from the city of Vladivostok, the government is building a huge new bridge to a small island. The bridge to Russki Island is intended to be ready for the 2012 Asian-Pacific Economic Summit and will be one of the world’s longest suspension bridges. The only way to get to the island now is by ferry boat.

The new bridge will cost over US$1 billion, according to sources. Additionally, the government plans to spend an additional $6 billion on projects meant to make the area more attractive for the summit meeting. This is on top of the plans to spend at least $6 billion for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, on the Black Sea coast.

The island was formerly home to a military facility and now has a few thousand residents. Officials intend to construct several new facilities on the island and the Vladivostok area, including a conference center, hotels and a new university campus. Also in the works are renovations to the airport, an additional bridge between two sections of the city and improvements to the water treatment facilities. Currently, there are some 6 million residents of the city and surrounding area.