A member of parliament got stuck in a massive traffic jam on the South Bridge and harshly criticized how the work was organized

Nina Yuzhanina, a member of parliament from the “European Solidarity” party, found herself stuck in a massive traffic jam on the South Bridge in Kyiv. She criticized the way roadwork was being organized during the war and called the situation a direct security threat to the capital.

“The South Bridge is trapped… This crossing has become a security threat,” Yuzhanina said.

Massive traffic congestion and road repairs

The lawmaker described her experience crossing the bridge during the day yesterday, July 1, noting that a full-blown traffic gridlock had formed on the approaches to the bridge from the direction of the Capital Highway.

“On the Capital Highway, there’s an incredible line of cars and trucks. Vehicles are lined up in several rows. They’re practically all in one spot. And they’re barely moving. My first thought was: haven’t we learned to adapt quickly yet? In wartime, these kinds of issues should be resolved immediately,” Yuzhanina noted.

The MP emphasized that she was only able to drive onto the bridge using a single lane, since the rest were closed due to repair work, where she counted only a few workers.

“We pull onto the bridge—one lane is open to traffic, the rest are closed for repairs. I drive (if you can call it that) along the repair section and count the people I see: three are working in one spot, four more a little further on. On a significant portion of the section, there are no workers in sight at all. I don’t know the work schedule or the repair methods, so I won’t draw any conclusions. But I can see the result: a massive traffic jam and only one lane open to traffic,” the MP said indignantly.

Patchwork Repairs Amid Constant Delays

According to the MP, the situation was further complicated on the way out of town, where traffic slowed down due to yet another roadwork project.

“We’re driving on—at the city limits—and there’s another terrible traffic jam. The reason? Pothole repairs. Seriously?! There’s a war going on. Constant airstrikes. And at the very same time, we’re creating yet another massive traffic jam ourselves because of how the roadwork is organized. Perhaps there’s an explanation for all of this. But I get the impression that the South Bridge is trapped, given the chronic repairs to the crossing and the fact that this crossing has become a security threat,” the lawmaker emphasized.

A Call for Proactive Action

Yuzhanina noted that her emotions from what she saw that evening and night only intensified, especially against the backdrop of the general morning traffic collapse on the crossings over the Dnipro.

“I have no right to lecture anyone—the war and the enemy’s actions are to blame for everything—but at least sometimes we can take proactive measures. Starting with replacing the road surface at night without creating kilometer-long traffic jams during the day (if the decision to replace it has already been made), securing trucks against threats (which may arise unexpectedly), and so on. Because these issues will have to be addressed. And quickly,” the MP concluded.  

What People Are Saying Online

The MP’s post sparked lively discussion on social media. In particular, Serhiy Kuyun, director of the “A-95” consulting group, drew attention to the frequency of repair work on this stretch: “Let’s keep in mind that the previous months-long repair project only recently ended….”

At the same time, users point to specific reasons for the buildup of large-sized vehicles and propose solutions to the problem.

“The line of trucks consists mainly of those that cleared customs during the day at Kyiv’s ‘peaceful’ terminals (Novopirohivska, Kalynivka, etc.). These are hundreds of vehicles leaving in the evening. The solution is extremely simple. Customs should allow them to leave after 9:00 p.m. (and mark their passage),” Viktor Prudkovskikh noted in the comments.

This was reported with reference to the MP’s Facebook post.