Work on Pearl River double-deck bridge progressing smoothly

Construction of a new double-deck bridge across the Pearl River estuary is progressing proactively in South China's Guangdong province, with workers racing against time to advance key nodes, demonstrating China's infrastructure construction capability and speed.

Zhang Taike, chief engineer of the project, the double-deck steel truss suspension bridge, said now 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 and traffic will begin in 2028. Shiziyang Link, whose construction started in 2023, is another mega infrastructural project running across the Pearl River estuary, following the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link that officially started operation last year. Both HZMB, which started 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 GBA to major cities across the country through the region's advanced expressway network.