New bridge in Greater Bay Area reaches milestone

The new bridge departs from the mainly concrete design of the old bridge by adopting a continuous-cable-stayed, steel-concrete composite girder cooperative system structure.

"The design optimizes the distribution of structural forces, achieving an optimal balance of internal forces and stiffness," Diao said.

The use of steel-concrete composite girders significantly reduces the weight of the cable-stayed section of the bridge by more than 9,000 tons compared with the old bridge, decreasing the amount of concrete used and reducing the load on the tower and cables.

The project will now focus on comprehensive advancements in the bridge deck system, the installation of crash barriers and pavement and ancillary works, with the goal of achieving traffic redirection by the end of the year.

Once the new on is operating, the old bridge will be closed for renovation.

Currently, more than 70 percent of the Guangzhou-Zhaoqing Expressway reconstruction and expansion project — with a total length of 51.1 kilometers — has been completed, according to the Guangdong Transportation Group.

The project is scheduled to be finished and open to traffic by the end of next year, helping facilitate the deeper integration of the surrounding regions into the coordinated development framework of the Greater Bay Area.