Field Office Otaci

BRIDGES OF OTACI COUNTY

At the first glance Otaci town seems to be an unattractive and boring place to be, until one zooms in to see the surrounding area which is exclusively beautiful, with its picturesque hills and valleys. The area’s location in the vicinity of the Carpathian Mountains’ piedmont creates a unique combination of plains and forested rocky cliffs. Since ancient times the Dniester River was the border line of Moldova and a number of strongholds situated along its bends.

As the river naturally separated Moldova from Ukraine, people have built bridges to keep the two nations connected. Thus, the Otaci area has been provided with three bridges: a railway and vehicle bridge which connect Otaci town to Mogilev-Podolsky, and one pedestrian bridge between Unguri and Bronnitsa villages, located downstream. All three of them were constructed during Soviet times to facilitate travelling and commerce between the two Soviet republics.

The vehicle bridge (also used by pedestrians), which is now the main crossing point for cargo trucks and buses heading to Russia, in the past was meant to connect two market places in Otaci and Mogilev-Podolsky. Today this market ‘factor’ is still present on the bridge: one can see merchants shuttling with small amounts of agricultural goods.

The railway bridge between Otaci and Mogilev-Podolsky is the only railway bridge over the Dniester River which connects Moldova and Ukraine. A number of years ago the entire structure underwent a renovation process, but there was a mishap: several days before the commissioning delegation was to arrive at the location, a truck driver travelling the road parallel to the river miscalculated the height of his vehicle and hit the upper part of the bridge, thus delaying the reopening.

The pedestrian bridge between Unguri and Bronnitsa used to be used by vehicles, but traffic was subsequently forbidden so now it serves the local population who wish to cross the border on foot. It is planned that the status of this bridge will be changed after a renovation and a vehicle BCP will be created there in future.

There is one more bridge in the area, of course, which cannot be found on any map. It’s Donald Bridge, who has become well-known among the local population on both sides of the river over the years he has spent in Otaci AoR.

LIUTKANOV Dmitri, Admin Assistant/Interpreter, FOOT