(LEAD) New cross-border bridge between N. Korea, China to open Thurs.: report

What happened: The New Yalu River Bridge between North Korea and China will open to traffic Thursday, per China's Xinhua News Agency, after sitting idle for over a decade since construction finished. Key numbers: Bridge is 3,024 meters, four lanes. Construction began October 2011, ended October 2014. Existing Friendship Bridge opened in 1943. Why it matters: The bridge is expected to boost trade and personnel exchanges and ease congestion on the old one-way crossing, following a June summit pledge by Kim Jong-un and Xi Jinping to raise ties.

The New Yalu River Bridge between North Korea and China will open to traffic Thursday, per China's Xinhua News Agency, after sitting idle for over a decade since construction finished.

The bridge is expected to boost trade and personnel exchanges and ease congestion on the old one-way crossing, following a June summit pledge by Kim Jong-un and Xi Jinping to raise ties.