Vehicle traffic has resumed at the Kani-Kurgan automobile border crossing on the Russian-Chinese border following reconstruction, the Russian Government’s press service reported.

“This is part of a large-scale effort to increase the capacity of border crossings along priority sections of the border. We are addressing this task comprehensively as part of the Effective Transport System national project.Following reconstruction, the number of lanes at the crossing increased from four to 16. As a result, the capacity of the Kani-Kurgan border crossing will grow by a factor of 4.5,” Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Savelyev said.

The launch of permanent transport links between Blagoveshchensk and Heihe opens up the potential for a fivefold increase in cargo traffic, from one million to five million metric tons per year.

According to Transport Minister Andrei Nikitin, the capacity of priority automobile border crossings has increased significantly over the past five years.

“Capacity has increased fivefold on the border with Azerbaijan, almost 2.5 times with Mongolia, twice with Georgia and by nearly the same margin with China. The opening of the Kani-Kurgan crossing is a logical continuation of this work. It represents a new growth point for the economy of the Amur Region and the entire Russian Far East,” he noted.

One of the key digital solutions implemented as part of the upgrade was the installation of portal inspection and screening systems. Their use will make it possible to scan 100 percent of cargo-carrying vehicles and detect prohibited items and substances.