ASHGABAT -- Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov and Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko have inaugurated a new railway bridge over the Amu Darya River in eastern Turkmenistan, RFE/RL's Turkmen Service reports.
The bridge, located in Lebap Province, is 1,414 meters long and is considered unparalleled in Central Asia.
Ukrainian specialists from the Ukrtransstroy company were involved in the bridge's design and construction.
Berdymukhammedov said on September 15 that the bridge has "a strategic importance not only for Turkmenistan, but for Central Asia as well."
The two presidents also participated in the groundbreaking ceremony for another bridge over the Amu Darya River that will support a highway for vehicles and will connect the eastern town of Farab with Turkmenabat.
Construction of the new bridge is expected to provide a boost for the area, where unemployment is high.