A pontoon bridge across the Heilongjiang River formally opened to traffic on Thursday, enabling cargo transportation between China and Russia to operate throughout the year.

The pontoon bridge, 1,000 meters long and nine meters wide, was made of 30 steel pontoons. It linked Tongjiang city in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province and Russia's Nizhneleninskoye city, said an official with the provincial communications department.

Previously, cargo transportation between the two countries across the Heilongjiang River had to be suspended in early winter and early spring because of ice.

Around 10,000 tonnes of cargo can across the river per day, the official said.