During rush hour, the South Bridge turned into a pedestrian route
In Kyiv, traffic across the South Bridge from the right bank to the left bank has still not resumed, despite earlier promises. During the evening rush hour, residents are forced to cross the bridge on foot or use electric scooters. The trip across the bridge can take up to an hour and a half.
As of 5:45 p.m., traffic on the South Bridge remained restricted. According to her, only passenger cars traveling from the left bank to the right bank were allowed to cross the bridge. Traffic in the opposite direction—from the right bank to the left—had not yet resumed. In other words, the promised reopening of the bridge to vehicles in both directions had not yet taken place at that time.
Because of this, some Kyiv residents decided not to wait for public transportation and crossed the bridge on foot. The bridge was most crowded during the evening rush hour, when the capital’s residents were returning home from work. For those living on the other bank of the Dnipro, the restrictions turned a routine trip home into a long walk. People crossing the bridge on foot told a reporter that the walk takes between 40 minutes and an hour. In some cases, the journey takes up to an hour and a half. The time depends on walking speed and the situation at the crossing.
Some Kyiv residents are trying to shorten their commute by using electric scooters. According to the reporter, people are even calling friends to ask them to come from the left bank on a scooter so they can get home faster. For those who manage to find such transportation, crossing the bridge takes about 12 minutes. However, there aren’t many scooters near the crossing. Due to high demand, they’re snapped up quickly, so not everyone can take advantage of this option. As a result, most people who don’t have access to a car or other transportation are forced to walk.
Thus, despite promises to restore traffic from the right bank to the left, as of 5:45 p.m., this had not happened. Due to the restrictions, Kyiv residents are spending tens of minutes crossing the South Bridge, and in some cases, up to an hour and a half. The statement provided does not include information on the exact time when traffic in this direction will resume. An “Espreso” correspondent on the scene reported on the situation.
Traffic across the South Bridge in Kyiv is gradually being restored. Currently, vehicles weighing up to 10 metric tons can use the bridge—in a single lane from the left bank to the right bank.
Starting October 30, traffic across the South Bridge from the left bank to the right bank will gradually resume in Kyiv. Initially, traffic will be permitted in only one lane and limited to vehicles weighing up to 10 metric tons.
The South Bridge and the metro were damaged in Kyiv following a ballistic missile attack.
During the latest attack on the capital, Russian troops fired several ballistic missiles toward the South Bridge. Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ignat noted that bridges have a significant safety margin, so it is not easy to completely destroy such structures. At the same time, repairing the damaged road surface will take some time.
