Isn’t it captivating how a bridge can connect not just land, but also stories? Welcome to the Juziyuan Reservior Bridge. It is not just a structure of concrete and steel. It’s a testament to Shenzhen’s ambition. It also embodies the city’s constant push for progress.
While we admire this bridge let’s discuss a similar ambitious project. The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link is a major undertaking. It connects Shenzhen and Zhongshan. These are two significant cities in the Pearl River Delta. Think of the Juziyuan Reservior Bridge as a smaller sibling to this giant. The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link includes bridges and tunnels. It starts near Shenzhen’s Bao’an International Airport.
This massive link cost about US$4.83 billion. It opened on June 30, 2024. The goal was simple. It was to reduce travel time between the two cities. Before the link, the Humen Bridge was the only major crossing. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge is another crossing. It connects Hong Kong, Zhuhai, and Macau. The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link aimed to improve connectivity. It aimed to boost development in the area.
Shenzhen initially wanted to be part of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge project. But, a separate link to Zhongshan was proposed in 2008. It became part of Guangdong’s 12th five-year plan in 2011.
The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link features a 6.7 km tunnel. It also has 19 bridges. The longest continuous bridge section stretches 22.5 km. About 15.5 km of it is over the sea. It has four lanes in each direction. The speed limit is 100 km/h. It connects several expressways. These are the Guangshen Expressway and the Jihe Expressway. It links them to the Zhongjiang Expressway. The bridge significantly cuts travel time. It reduces the trip to less than 30 minutes.
In its first month, over 3 million vehicles crossed the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link. Just imagine the traffic!
The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge has some world records. The main span measures 1666 meters. It is the world’s longest fully offshore steel box girder suspension bridge. Its bridge deck sits 91 meters high. This gives it the world’s highest navigation clearance for a sea bridge. The single anchor has a concrete volume of approximately 344,000 cubic meters. It is the world’s largest offshore suspension bridge anchor. The bridge can withstand wind speeds of 83.7 m/s. It boasts the world’s highest wind resistance test speed for a suspension bridge. It also features the world’s largest steel bridge deck hot-mix epoxy asphalt paving. This covers an area of 378,800 square meters.
The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Tunnel is also remarkable. It is the world’s longest two-way eight-lane immersed tube tunnel. It stretches 5,035 meters. It includes 32 tube sections and one final joint. The tunnel’s standard tube section is 165 meters long. Its width measures 46 meters. The widest section is 55.6 meters. The tunnel stands 10.6 meters tall. It holds the title of the world’s widest underwater steel shell-concrete immersed tube tunnel. Each tube section uses 29,000 cubic meters of concrete. The total concrete volume reaches 910,000 cubic meters. This makes it the world’s largest single-volume cast for a steel-shell immersed tube. It also includes the world’s first underwater expressway interchange which is the airport interchange.
As you stand on the Juziyuan Reservior Bridge, consider all these feats of engineering. They all aimed to connect and drive growth. The Juziyuan Reservior Bridge may be smaller. Yet, it shares the same spirit. It is a symbol of Shenzhen’s ambition.