The Russian Federation annexed the Ukrainian territory of Crimea on March 18, 2014. Just a year later in May 2015, construction commenced on a 12-mile bridge to span the Kerch Straight of the Black Sea and physically connect the Taman Peninsula of the Russian mainland to the Crimean Peninsula. The Kremlin is hoping to complete the $4.3 billion project by December 2018, solidifying their claims to the region—claims that are not recognized by the vast majority of United Nations member countries including the United States.

Approximate route of the Crimean bridge, which will run along the Tuzla Spit and Tuzla Island in the middle of the Kerch Strait.

New 3D flyover drone footage from state-owned media outlet Russia Today shows the current state of the Crimean bridge project. Today, the bridge exists as eight construction sites where pilings are being driven to bedrock to create the foundation for the bridge, as well as some temporary causeways that connect the piling sites and are used to move supplies. The footage also provides an overlay graphic of the 115-foot high, 745-foot wide navigable arch planned for the bridge to allow large vessels to pass.

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The massive infrastructure project accounts for two bridges running parallel to one another—one with four lanes for automotive traffic and the other with two railroad tracks—both using the same piling sites for foundation. Currently, since many of the roadways into Crimea were closed by the Kremlin, the primary method of transporting goods and people to the peninsula is by ferry. Shipping tourists and goods across the Kerch Straight has put a strain on the already-struggling Russian economy.

Despite the footage of the bridge's progress, there is some serious doubt as to whether the project will be completed on schedule due to weather delays and engineering oversights. Construction director Leonid Ryzhenkin told NPR that storms in June prevented workers and construction boats from getting to the bridge sites for days. There is also a deep channel along the route of the bridge that has made it difficult for engineers to reach the sea floor and establish a solid foundation. And just touching the bottom isn't enough; some of the pilings need to be driven as far as 300 feet into the sea bed. Civil engineer Georgy Rosnovsky, who has designed other bridges in the country, told NPR that the current location leaves the bridge vulnerable to mud volcanoes on the sea floor and earthquakes.

Last month, it was also reported that construction companies working on the project had been abusing laborers. Originally promised $80 per day plus food and lodging, workers found meals and housing ultimately deducted from wages, leaving them with little actual earnings, reports one such worker, who also alleges that workers could be fired and sent home without pay for taking breaks.

The Kremlin awarded the construction contract to billionaire Arkady Rotenberg's SGM Group. Rotenberg is a personal friend of Vladimir Putin, and the SGM Group also handled construction for the Sochi Olympics, which suffered billions in cost overruns. Exactly how the Crimean bridge is coming along is yet to be seen.

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