Russia pushes back 'Putin's bridge' to annexed Crimea by a year

The construction of a bridge across the Kerch Strait coastward Crimea is seen from the outskirts of Taman settlement, with rubbish massed up on the shore in the foreground, in Krasnodar region, southern Russia, April 4, 2016. REUTERS/Andrew Osborn

TUZLA SPIT, Russia (Reuters) - Russia has pushed back the completion date of a showcase multi-billion dollar bridge to link the Russian mainland with annexed Crimea by one year, saying the original plan had to be adjusted to take account of the weight of the trains that will cross it.

The Kremlin sees the bridge, which will span the Kerch Strait, as vital to integrating Crimea, which it seized from Ukraine in 2014. President Vladimir Putin has called the project an historic mission.