Record-breaking bridges in eastern China to boost port and railway connections
China has completed the main span of a record-breaking sea bridge at Ningbo-Zhoushan port, with the new link expected to improve the efficiency of logistics at the world’s busiest cargo port. The main structure of the 2,212-metre (7,257-foot) Qinglongmen Grand Bridge in eastern China’s Zhejiang prov
By Mia Nurmamat
China has completed the main span of a record-breaking sea bridge at Ningbo-Zhoushan port, with the new link expected to improve the efficiency of logistics at the world’s busiest cargo port.
The main structure of the 2,212-metre (7,257-foot) Qinglongmen Grand Bridge in eastern China’s Zhejiang province has been completed, Science and Technology Daily reported on Tuesday, adding that it would link a cluster of islands within the Ningbo-Zhoushan port complex.
The bridge is the world’s longest three-tower cable-stayed bridge, featuring twin main spans of 756 metres. Unlike conventional cable-stayed bridges that rely on two towers, the design uses a third pylon to support longer spans across wide shipping channels.
Standing 249 metres tall – roughly the height of an 80-storey building – its three towers form the centrepiece of a project aimed at integrating previously fragmented port islands into a unified expressway network.
The report said it would improve the port’s cargo distribution network, optimise the development of the Zhoushan archipelago and promote closer integration between the region’s ports and industries.
Built by two subsidiaries of China Railway Construction Corporation – China Railway Construction Bridge Engineering Bureau Group and China Railway Port Bureau Group – the bridge is part of a 17.6 billion yuan (US$2.6 billion) infrastructure programme launched in 2022 to improve freight connectivity at the port.
The investment carries particular significance given the port’s scale: it handled a record 1.4 billion tonnes (1.5 billion short tons) of cargo last year, extending its position as the world’s busiest port by cargo throughput for a 17th consecutive year.
China has also completed the main towers of a key section of the world’s longest railway bridge built directly over the sea, marking another milestone in one of the country’s most important transport projects.
The Ministry of Transport said the substructure of the nearly 30-kilometre-long Hangzhou Bay Cross-Sea Railway Bridge was now complete, with deck connection expected by October.
The bridge, which is being built by China Railway Major Bridge Engineering Group, is designed to carry trains travelling at up to 350 km/h and will form part of a new high-speed rail corridor along China’s east coast.
Once completed, the project will help connect Shanghai, Ningbo and other major economic hubs, reducing travel times and strengthening integration across one of the country’s most economically important regions.