Chongming-Qidong Yangtze River Bridge or the Chongqi Bridge (Chinese: 崇启大桥; pinyin: Chóngqǐ Dàqiáo), also called Chongqi Crossing Project (Chinese: 崇启通道工程; pinyin: Chóngqǐ tōngdào gōngchéng), is bridge across the north fork of the Yangtze River, near the river's mouth between Chongming Island of Shanghai and Qidong in Jiangsu Province. This bridge, along with the Shanghai Yangtze River Tunnel and Bridge to the south, forms the last crossing of the Yangtze River before the river empties into the East China Sea. The bridge carries the six-lane G40 Shanghai–Xi'an Expressway, part of the National Expressway Network of the People's Republic of China.
The bridge connects Chenjia Township in Chongming County in the south with Qidong in the north, and was built from 2008 to 2011 at cost of RMB8.238 billion.[1] The project built 51.763 km (32 mi) of viaduct, including 6.84 km (4 mi) across the north fork of the river. As of December 2011, the bridge was the longest Box girder bridge in China.[1] The longest span is 185 meters.[1] Major construction was completed on September 21, 2011 and the bridge opened to commercial traffic on December 24, 2011.[2][3]
Contents |
Sun Jianhua, the municipal party secretary of Qidong, indicates three effects that the Chongqi Bridge brings to Qidong's development. One is accumulative effect. The Chongqi Bridge's open to traffic makes Qidong become the pivot of the traffic. All kinds of resources and essential factors are accumulated further. What's more, it can promote Qidong's leapfrog development. Secondly, it's the radiation effect. After the completing of the bridge, Qidong accepts all-directional radiation. It earns popularity and impact. At the same time, it also makes a lot of radiation to surrounding areas. The third is fission effect. Recent years, Qidong has achieved the virtuous circle of the industrial development by project introduction, platform making and structural adjustment. Now, the development of the industry can produce double effect.