China is upgrading land port facilities at an unused $350 million road bridge to North Korea, NK Pro analysis of satellite imagery shows, in the latest sign that China remains committed to the project eight years after finishing it. 

North Korea eventually built a highway in 2020 to what became widely known as the “bridge to nowhere,” but the New Yalu River Bridge has never been regularly used for vehicle or pedestrian traffic for reasons that remain unclear. 

The only cross-border overland trade between China and North Korea at the moment is by train between Dandong and Sinuiju, recently resuming after a monthslong suspension related to COVID-19.

The DPRK appears to be sequestering imports for disinfection and outdoor quarantine at a repurposed military airfield near Sinuiju, though imagery suggests authorities may have shortened the quarantine period compared to the last time the route was open earlier this year. 

CHINESE CUSTOMS UPGRADES

According to Planet Labs imagery, Chinese authorities began clearing dirt fields around the customs compound in early September before starting to pave those areas last week. Paving work appeared to continue slowly in the latest images taken in recent days.

Construction appeared to wrap up early last month as well on several new large buildings in the compound, including one covering part of the bridge’s inbound road, after starting in June and July. Imagery reveals some minor clearing activity starting late last year, but the recent changes appear to be part of a new project kicked off in June.

These images show paving work ongoing in recent days at China’s customs facilities at the foot of the New Yalu River Bridge | Images: Planet Labs PBH, edited by NK Pro

The Liaoning Shuguang Automotive Group, Ltd. and the state-owned Dandong Urban Construction Cultural Tourism Group reportedly signed an agreement in April this year to resume construction on the customs complex.

This follows the Liaoning provincial government’s allocation of half a million dollars toward New Yalu River Bridge maintenance late last year. 

The new construction on the customs facilities appears similar to an updated design render found on Chinese websites (right) | Images: Fang.com (left), jsw2015.com (right)

South Korean outlet KBS aired video of the bridge maintenance work earlier this month and said workers appeared to be renovating the customs facilities.

However, it is still unclear when the road bridge will open to regular traffic given the lack of movement toward opening the 2.5-mile (4 km) stretch of highway on the North Korean side — which was almost entirely covered in drying corn as of Oct. 18.

The opening of a vehicular trade route is also in doubt due to strict North Korean import quarantine procedures, which appear to be preventing trucks from carrying goods across the old Dandong-Sinuiju rail and road bridge. Authorities appear to prefer the more easily controllable method of rail transport leading directly into the airport-sized disinfection and quarantine complex in nearby Uiju. 

No such similar facilities for trucks have been built in North Korea near the New Yalu River Bridge.

The development follows renewed construction efforts in recent months at an even larger Chinese customs facility on the opposite end of the country’s shared border with North Korea as well, where authorities celebrated progress despite the project remaining unfinished.

REDUCED QUARANTINE PERIOD?

Despite a brief spike in COVID cases in cities across China’s Liaoning Province this month and fresh calls by provincial authorities to increase scrutiny of imports, Dandong has not reported any new cases as of Tuesday. Planet Labs satellite imagery also suggests trains have continued to cross into North Korea carrying goods to the Uiju disinfection center as recently as Oct. 18, after the two sides agreed to reopen the route on Sept. 26. 

Large groups of items appeared temporarily in the outdoor quarantine area of the Uiju airport disinfection complex between Oct. 11 and 12 as the section to the east remained quiet | Images: Planet Labs PBH, edited by NK Pro

Stacks of goods on the runway have continued to increase in number since Oct. 4, more evidence that shipments are still arriving and being put into quarantine. NK Pro reported earlier this month that goods began to once again appear outside on the converted airport’s runway after going through a several day disinfection process in adjacent warehouses. 

The quarantine period appeared to be around 90 days when the facilities were operating earlier this year.

Some items which just appeared on the runway on Oct. 12 disappeared by Oct. 17 at the same time as items began to appear in the east section | Images: Planet Labs PBH, edited by NK Pro

However, NK Pro analysis suggests some items may be going through a shorter quarantine period: Imagery shows a separate area of the facilities to the east — previously thought to be related to organizing outgoing shipments for goods that completed quarantine — becoming active between Oct. 12 and 17.

At the same time, large groups of goods disappeared from the runway. It is possible that these goods were moved quickly from the outdoor quarantine area over to the outgoing shipments area.

These facilities, which include a rail freight station, did not become active until around 10 weeks after the complex first opened in mid-January.

It would not be unprecedented for North Korean authorities to grant an exception to their strict quarantine rules: Items appeared to be released from quarantine less than two months after being picked up from China by cargo planes in May.

Edited by Arius Derr