The main bridge of Tongming Bay Bridge in Zhanjiang, Guangdong province was connected on June 30, laying a foundation for final completion of the whole project in 2020.

By then, the Donghai Island-Leizhou Highway project, which links Donghai Island with Leizhou and Fenyong New and High-Tech Development Zone, will reduce the current 80-minute drive to less than half an hour, forming a "half-an-hour circle" in the three regions by offering a direct roadway.

An aerial view of the connected Tongming Bay Bridge on Donghai Island in Zhanjiang [Photo by Li Zhong/gdzjdaily.com.cn]

The bridge is the longest two-tower cable-stayed bridge across the sea in west Guangdong with a total length of 5,762 meters and a tower height of 121 meters. It was invested by Nanyue Transportation Investment and Construction Co Ltd, which belongs to Guangdong Communications Group, and built by CCCC Second Harbour Engineering Company Ltd and Poly Changda Engineering Co Ltd. Upon completion, it will look like a huge harp at sea, suitable for 3,000-ton seagoing vessels with the navigable hole spanning 338 meters at the main bridge.

To overcome the impacts of temperature variation, 24 hour measurement and monitoring were conducted. Accurate positioning ensured the alignment of composition beams, providing technical support for achieving the millimeter accuracy target in accordance with the original plan.

Tongming Bay Bridge in Zhanjiang completes final closure on June 30. [Photo by Li Zhong/gdzjdaily.com.cn]

The bridge is located in a mangrove natural reserve, as well as an area frequently affected by typhoons, thunderstorms, and tropical storms. To guarantee safety and avoid the impacts of typhoon on the quality and progress of the project, the management center broke the domestic record for deepest super-long pile foundation and became the fastest in domestic construction of a bulk offshore platform.

The Donghai Island-Leizhou Highway is an important transportation construction project in Guangdong province and also significant in Zhanjiang's traffic planning. It has an overall length of about 36 kilometers starting at Min'an Street at Donghai Island and passing through north of Longwan village, Jiaomen Port, north of Xiwan village, and south of Shentang town.

The project will open a new land-island rapid transportation connecting to the southwest of Donghai Island, improve the regional road network layout, enhance traffic conditions in west Guangdong, facilitate construction of major industrial projects, and accelerate economic development areas along the highway.