China takes major step toward completing Shenzhen-Zhongshan bridge

The Shenzhen-Zhongshan bridge, a 24-kilometer bridge-island-tunnel project in South China's Guangdong province, got one step closer to completion on Sunday morning.

As a connecting piece linking two sections of submerged pipes was installed, the undersea tunnel section was finally completed, marking a key step forward in the project's construction.

With a length of 6.8 km and a width of 46 meters, the two-way eight-lane tunnel is the largest and widest undersea steel shell concrete tube tunnel in the world.

The Shenzhen-Zhongshan bridge across the Pearl River is a sea-crossing link, integrating two bridges, two artificial islands, a two-way eight-lane tunnel and underwater channels. The project is expected to complete by November and open to traffic in 2024.

As an important infrastructure project in China, the bridge, once completed, will shorten travel time between the two southern China cities from two hours to 30 minutes.