Shanghai Yangtze River Tunnel-bridge opens

The Shanghai Yangtze River Tunnel-bridge opens to traffic Saturday. It provides a quick link between Shanghai and two of its major islands for the first time.

The project links Pudong New Area and Chongming Island via Changxing Island. The route to Chongming island would combine a 10-kilometre suspension bridge with a nine-kilometer tunnel.

The bridge is strong enough to withstand the collision of a 5-ton cargo ship travelling at more than 18 kilometers an hour. It can also bear strong winds with a speed of nearly 40 meters per second. All of these ensures safety on the tunnel-bridge.

In addition to a six-lane expressway, the tunnel-bridge also has two railways.

Guo Zhenwen,Project Engineer, said, "The structures of expressway and railway are totally different. We have to solve a lot of problems such as the stiffness of the bridge, to combine them together."

Known as the third largest island of China, Chongming will benefit a lot from the tunnel-bridge. Compared to the current 90 minutes by ferry, a ride from Pudong to Chongming Island should take only about 30 minutes.

Local Resident, said, "My son and I had never imagined that I can take a bus to Shanghai. He's excited to hear that."

The project cost more than 12 billion yuan. It is expected to boost the development of the islands, create space for Shanghai's future development and provide a closer link with the Yangtze River Delta region.