The collapse of the Red Bridge complicated communication with three districts of Dagestan.

The communication between the mountainous regions of Dagestan and the flat part of the republic is complicated due to the collapse of the Red Bridge. The detour routes are longer and pass through poor roads, making trips and the transportation of agricultural products difficult, and with the onset of frost, the situation will worsen, residents of the Shamil, Khunzakh, and Tlyaratinsky districts reported.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", on October 3, the span structure of the Red Bridge over the Kara-Koysu River, which was being repaired after floods, collapsed after prolonged rains and water discharge from the Gotsatlin Hydroelectric Power Station. The bridge had previously been damaged due to floods, after which emergency restoration work was carried out. The authorities of Dagestan reported that specialists will assess the possibility of restoring the existing structures, and in case of prolonged work, the construction of a temporary bridge crossing is being considered.

The Red Bridge is located on the direct route from Makhachkala and the flat part of Dagestan to the Shamil district; after its collapse, residents will have to use a long detour along poor roads, said a resident of the village of Khebda Muhammad.

"This is a direct road from Makhachkala and the flat part to the Shamil district, where about 30,000 people live. The detour takes a very long time, and the roads are bad. How to get to the village and transport agricultural products from there, no one knows," he told a correspondent of "Caucasian Knot.".

Residents have long drawn the attention of officials to the condition of the bridge and asked for a detour road to be made, but they were not heard, said a resident of the Khunzakh district Ismail.

"Heavy vehicles can hardly pass on the long detour road. Soon frosts and icy conditions will begin, and we may be left without transport communication," he told a correspondent of "Caucasian Knot.".

With the onset of winter, movement along the detour routes may become practically inaccessible, and the longer route will increase costs and travel time, said a resident of the Tlyaratinsky district Khadzhimurad.

"More than 25,000 people live in our district. Winter is coming, and movement will be practically inaccessible. The detour takes a long time, which means additional fuel costs and time expenditures. We do not know how the authorities will solve the problem," he told a correspondent of "Caucasian Knot.".

The situation with food availability in the mountainous area is stable; food and all necessary supplies are being delivered via alternative routes, reported on October 3 the Chairman of the Government of Dagestan, Magomed Ramazanov, on his Telegram channel.

"The bridge had previously been damaged due to floods, after which emergency restoration work was carried out. Specialists are conducting a detailed examination of the structure and assessing the extent of the damage. Based on the results, it will be determined whether it is possible to restore the existing structures," he wrote.

Recall that on July 9, the span structure of the Red Bridge was deformed, after which traffic across the crossing was closed. On July 31, residents of the districts that used the bridge demanded to expedite the restoration of traffic, indicating that the detour routes disrupted logistics, complicated the delivery of products, and affected local businesses. The acting head of Dagestan Fedor Shchukin then reported on the subsidence of the intermediate support and deformation of the span structure due to the rise of water in the Avar Koysu and instructed to switch restoration work to emergency mode.