The construction of the Yarmag twin bridges is now 70 percent complete, according to the Ulaanbaatar Mayor’s Office. Mayor of Ulaanbaatar S.Batbold visited Yarmag last Friday to check on the construction of the new Yarmag twin bridges. Reportedly, the bridges can become operational by November now that the old bridge is undergoing repairs and the construction of the new one is almost complete. The new bridge next to the old Yarmag Bridge will be 250.2 meters in length and 20.5 meters in width. The twin bridges will have six lanes in total, two on the old bridge and four on the new bridge. The original deadline for the project was January 31, 2019 but following orders from the Ulaanbaatar administration, the contractor has speeded up its work in order to open the old bridge by July 11, before the National Naadam Festival. By doing so, Ulaanbaatar city officials hope to decrease traffic during the National Naadam Festival -- one of the busiest times in the year for Ulaanbaatar and throughout the country.   Mayor S.Batbold reviewing construction work at Yarmag Bridge[/caption] When Mayor S.Batbold asked about the technological regime and the possibility of finishing before the deadline, the head inspector leader of the advisory company said, “The construction of the bridges is being completed quite fast but according to plan. The preparation work for (the new) bridge started on March 20. We’re planning to open the main section before the National Naadam Festival.” He added that the construction team is working 24 hours a day but in shifts. “This bridge over Tuul River, which flows through the capital, was commissioned in the early 1960s. It’s almost 60 years old,” the mayor noted. “Old bridges such as Yarmag, and Sonsgolon and Bayanzurkh are being renovated. Zaisan Bridge is the only one left. A marvellous blueprint has been made for Zaisan Bridge since it’s located in the heart of the city. We plan to complete this work with the city budget. This way, all bridges over Tuul River will get rebuilt.” Subroads connecting to the bridges are set to open in October. The Yarmag Bridge is the largest northwest entry to Ulaanbaatar which links it to the New Ulaanbaatar International Airport. The development of the Yarmag twin bridges is significant to the city’s plans to transform Yarmag area into a new business center. The construction of the new bridge began in May last year. “The Yarmag twin bridges will add a new touch of color to Ulaanbaatar. It will not be an ordinary single bridge but a twin bridge linked to the back of a mountain. It branches out to routes heading to the intersection across theThird Thermal Power Plant, city center, and Gurvaljin Bridge. The Ulaanbaatar Road Development Office is overseeing the construction work,” stated S.Batbold.