China has opened the world's longest bridge over water, the 41.58km Jiaozhou Bay Bridge, which is said to have cost well over US$2 billion to build.
It links the eastern port city of Qingdao to Huangdao Island across Jiaozhou Bay and is 4km longer than the previous longest bridge over water, the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway in Louisiana, USA.
Opened in June, 2011 after four years of construction, the link is expected to carry some 30,000 vehicle/day and will reduce travel time by 30 minutes, although it is only likely to hold the record for a few years.
The main contractor for the huge project was Shandong Hi- Speed Qingdao Highway, a whollyowned subsidiary of3034 Shandong Hi-Speed Group (SDHS), a stateowned group, which will also operate and manage the bridge.
During the two-phase construction process some 2.3 million m³ of concrete was used along with 450,000tonnes of steel, enough for 65 Eiffel Towers.
Supported by more than 5,000 pillars, the six-lane, 33.5m wide bridge was built by nearly 20,000 people working around the clock.
According to SDHS, the bridge's design involves three channel bridges across Cangkou, Red Island and Dagu Channel. The Cangkou bridge spans 260m, and the Red Island Bridge spans 120m, with this bridge being the first ocean interchange in China where it links with an existing bridge.
The company claims that the 149m high tower of the Dagu Channel Bridge is the first selfanchored suspension bridge with a single tower in the world.
However, with construction of a 50km, dual three-lane sea bridge linking China's southern Guangdong province with the islands of Hong Kong and Macau (Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge) scheduled to start, the Jiaozhou Bay Bridge will lose its record in 2016, when the project is scheduled for completion.
It links the eastern port city of Qingdao to Huangdao Island across Jiaozhou Bay and is 4km longer than the previous longest bridge over water, the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway in Louisiana, USA.
Opened in June, 2011 after four years of construction, the link is expected to carry some 30,000 vehicle/day and will reduce travel time by 30 minutes, although it is only likely to hold the record for a few years.
The main contractor for the huge project was Shandong Hi- Speed Qingdao Highway, a whollyowned subsidiary of
During the two-phase construction process some 2.3 million m³ of concrete was used along with 450,000tonnes of steel, enough for 65 Eiffel Towers.
Supported by more than 5,000 pillars, the six-lane, 33.5m wide bridge was built by nearly 20,000 people working around the clock.
According to SDHS, the bridge's design involves three channel bridges across Cangkou, Red Island and Dagu Channel. The Cangkou bridge spans 260m, and the Red Island Bridge spans 120m, with this bridge being the first ocean interchange in China where it links with an existing bridge.
The company claims that the 149m high tower of the Dagu Channel Bridge is the first selfanchored suspension bridge with a single tower in the world.
However, with construction of a 50km, dual three-lane sea bridge linking China's southern Guangdong province with the islands of Hong Kong and Macau (Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge) scheduled to start, the Jiaozhou Bay Bridge will lose its record in 2016, when the project is scheduled for completion.
