On 8 October, the «Bila Tserkva – Sighetu Marmatiei» international road border crossing came into operation on the Ukrainian-Romanian border in Zakarpattia Oblast. The opening was announced by Mykola Kalashnyk, Minister for Recovery, Infrastructure and Transport. In the initial phase, the crossing is open round the clock to passenger vehicles weighing up to 3.5 tonnes; it has a capacity of up to 400 cars per day.
Briefly about the main points
- A new road border crossing with Romania opened on 8 October.
- Passenger vehicles weighing up to 3.5 tonnes are permitted to use it.
- The centre operates seven days a week and has a temporary modular infrastructure.
- This is the third road crossing in the Transcarpathian region on the Romanian side.
- Once the extension is complete, the plan is to carry out bodywork on buses and lorries here.
What types of vehicles are allowed through at the start?
Cabinet of Ministers decided to open the crossing on 17 September. To get it up and running, temporary modular infrastructure was used, which allowed traffic to begin flowing until the permanent complex was completed.
Passenger vehicles with a maximum authorised mass of up to 3.5 tonnes may pass through the checkpoint. It operates continuously, 24 hours a day. Goods vehicles and buses are not processed at this stage of the project.
The bridge over the Tisa and the development of the crossing
The Ukrainian side built an access road, laid out traffic lanes and control zones, reinforced the banks of the Tisa, and connected the area to the electricity and water supply networks as well as telecommunications networks. Romania set up its own checkpoint and built a new road bridge across the river.
The crossing has been added to the list of road border crossings managed by the Transcarpathian Customs Office, alongside «Dyakove – Halmeu» and «Solotvyno – Sighetu Marmatiei». It has become the third road crossing between Transcarpathia and Romania and the first new one in this area in almost 20 years.
Ukraine plans to build a permanent facility for processing lorries and coaches. Once this phase is complete, the facility will be able to handle up to 360 lorries and 50 coaches per day. According to Kalashnik, the route is intended to help redistribute traffic from existing border crossings and facilitate the movement of people and business operations. It is also important for the Solotvyno community, which is home to a significant Romanian community and where many families have relatives on both sides of the border.
