Construction of a new double-deck bridge across the Pearl River estuary is progressing at full speed in Guangdong province, with workers accelerating key milestones — demonstrating China's commitment to advancing infrastructure development.

Zhang Taike, chief engineer of the project, said more than 35 percent of the Shiziyang Link has been completed, and the 342-meter-high main tower is expected to be completed in March.

The project, with a main span of 2,180 meters, is estimated to be completed in 2028 with traffic flowing soon after. Shiziyang Link, whose construction began in 2023, is another mega infrastructure project running across the Pearl River estuary, following the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link, which officially started operation last year. Both HZMB, which opened to traffic in 2018, and Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link are mega structures that consist of bridges, tunnels, and artificial islands.

As a vital transportation artery for the southward and westward expansion of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Shiziyang Link will be able to play a pivotal role in enhancing comprehensive connectivity between the eastern and western city clusters on both banks of the Pearl River estuary, Zhang said.

It will also help accelerate the integrated development among the three regions of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions.

"Upon completion of the project, travel time between Guangzhou's Nansha and Dongguan will be significantly reduced. And this will not only foster closer integration among core cities in the Pearl River delta, but also enable more efficient cross-river circulation of industrial chains, talent flow, and logistics in the region," Zhang said.

Shiziyang Link connects the cities in the Greater Bay Area to major cities across the country through the region's advanced expressway network.

Previously, the projections for economic development tended to be on the conservative side, said Zhang, adding that all the across-sea links in the regions, including Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link, Nansha, Humen, and Huangpu bridges, operated in red (all witnessed heavy traffic congestion) during the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday in the first eight days of October.

Shiziyang Link, which connects Guangzhou's Nansha district and Dongguan city, is sandwiched by Nansha Bridge, 3.8 kilometers to the north, and Humen Bridge, 7.7 kilometers to the south.

Cui Bing, a national engineering survey and design master, said the state-of-the-art project is a global leader in diameter of the anchor foundation (130 meters), height of steel plate composite tower (342 meters), span of double-layer suspension bridge (2,180 meters), scale of main Cable (1.5 meter-diameter) and number of lanes (double-deck two-way 8 lanes).

"The true value of bridge engineering design and construction lies not in repeatedly setting new records, but in genuinely realizing structural philosophies of safety and durability, along with breakthroughs in corresponding structural theories, construction technologies, and techniques," Cui said. He added that a bridge structural system should be established where all components, except key supporting elements (such as pylons and main cables) are easily replaceable, ensuring the bridge maintains its "prime-state functionality" throughout its entire life cycle. "This philosophy has been put into practice in the Shiziyang Link," he said.

While the bridge's advancements may be surpassed in the coming 10 to 20 years, its design, technology, philosophy, methods, and structure will influence the design and construction of bridges worldwide in the future, said Cui, who is a chief engineer at China Communications Construction Company Highway Consultants.

"And the design of the project adheres to the principles of economy, applicability, greenness, durability, and resistance to multiple disasters," he added.

Meanwhile, Lianhuashan Link, which connects Guangzhou's Panyu district to Dongguan city has also been planned and is expected to start construction during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), said Xu Jun, deputy chief engineer of CCCC Highway Consultants. Relevant departments will soon decide whether it is a bridge or a tunnel that operates across the Pearl River estuary.

And the Lingdingyang Link, which connects Shenzhen and Zhuhai, has also been planned to further advance ties between the two Chinese special economic zones. Lingdingyang Link will be a railway and highway dual-purpose link.

zhengcaixiong@chinadaily.com.cn