The overall view of Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge.

Photo by Zhang Ke

It took more than 5 years, Lingdingyang Bridge builders overcame many difficulties and stood up a spine in the sea, creating a number of the world’s largest: the largest span offshore over sea steel box girder suspension bridge, with the main span of 1,666 meters; the highest over sea bridge deck, which is 91 meters; the highest navigational clearance, which is 76.5 meters; the largest over sea anchorages, the weight of a single anchor is about 1 million tons; the highest over sea bridge tower, which is 270 meters…

Unlike the reinforced concrete structure of conventional tunnels, Chinese engineers found the most suitable, cost-effective and best-performing immersed tube tunnel structure—concrete filled steel shell immersed tube. The 80,000 tons of bulk was transported from a prefabricated factory 50 kilometers away to the construction site for installation, the process that was equally challenging. In June 2023 the last section of the immersed tube tunnel was put in place, which means the whole construction process took three full years. 

Now, the main line of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge has been through, but the builders do not dare to slacken off at all, who are in full swing to carry out the final “fully furnished”. Looking forward to the early commissioning of this super project, which will add another vitality to the development of the city clusters on both sides of the Pearl River Estuary.