EDITOR's NOTE: Details have been added after the sixth paragraph
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev have participated in opening ceremony of the upper tier a new bridge via Volga, RIA Novosti reported.
During the ceremony Medvedev said that it is a pleasant and long-expected day for all of us.
"The construction lasted from early 1980. Then first deputy chairman of USSR ministerial board Heydar Aliyev contributed to make decision concerning opening of this bridge," Medvedev said.
"I am very pleased that Azerbaijani incumbent president Ilham Aliyev participates in this ceremony," Russian President said.
"The construction has been implemented with variable success for 20 years. We have recently found funds, concentrated efforts and got result," Medvedev said.
He stressed that this bridge connects parts of our large country - Europe with Urals and Siberia. It is unexampled bridge. This long construction demonstrates both scale of our country and those complicated tasks which we solve with difficulty but solve," he said.
In his turn, Azerbaijani President speaking about opening of bridge transition said that it is a grand architectural and transportation construction on the European continent. It is unlikely to have analogues."
He, as his Russian counterpart, recalled that his father, Heydar Aliyev took part in making a decision to build a bridge in 1980. As you know, Heydar Aliyev has repeatedly arrived in Ulyanovsk. He was with people in good times and tragic moments for Ulyanovsk. He headed the commission for liquidation consequences of terrible accidents on the Volga (as a result of the shipwreck Alexander Suvorov 176 people died). I am very pleased that the memory of the Azerbaijani President is kept in Ulyanovsk," Aliyev said.
He said that during his work in Moscow and being the President Heydar Aliyev has always sought to strengthen relations between the peoples of Russia and Azerbaijan.
"I am very pleased that today our countries cooperate successfully. We have very close relations, frequent contacts at the presidential level. We characterize these relations as a strategic partnership, as the relations of good neighbors and friends, the Azerbaijani president said.
Construction of two-tier Bridge over the Volga River has been held since 1986. It is included in the federal target program Modernization of transport system of Russia (2000-2010). Bridge crossing is a transport corridor linking the European part of Russia with the Urals, Siberia and the Far East.
The length of the first starting transition via the Volga River hits about 13 kilometers, including the bridge over the Volga River - 5.8 kilometers and approaches to the bridge - 7,1 kilometers.
The span of the bridge is bunk. Four-lane traffic is planned to be made on the upper tier but the two-way - on the bottom.
According to the forecasts, traffic density on the bridge can hit up to 30,000 cars per day.
The lower tier of the bridge is planned to be opened in 2012.