A new border crossing between Ukraine and Romania, Bila Tserkva–Sighetu Marmației, opened on Thursday, October 8, Ukrainian Minister for Recovery, Infrastructure and Transport Mykola Kalashnyk announced.
"This is the first new road border crossing between our countries in Zakarpattia in almost 20 years," Kalashnyk wrote on Telegram.
He noted that the new crossing is the third road border checkpoint connecting Zakarpattia region with Romania. It provides an additional route for travellers and businesses, helping redistribute traffic flows and reduce congestion at existing crossings.
The minister emphasised its particular importance for residents of the Solotvyno community, where Bila Tserkva is located.
"A large community of ethnic Romanians lives here, and many families have relatives on the other side of the border. The new crossing will make it easier to visit parents, children and loved ones. These everyday needs should guide how we develop infrastructure," Kalashnyk said.
The checkpoint can currently process up to 400 passenger cars per day.
To open the crossing, Ukraine constructed an access road and installed modular facilities for border and customs control. Romanian partners built the checkpoint on their side and a new bridge across the Tysa River.
"We are opening traffic using temporary infrastructure so that people can use the crossing immediately. This is the first phase of the project. Next, we plan to build a fully equipped border crossing complex for trucks and buses," Kalashnyk explained.
Once construction is completed, the checkpoint will be able to process an additional 360 trucks and 50 buses per day.
