“Ten world records. Can you believe it?” That’s what they say about the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link. Today we are at Shaling 1# Bridge, a part of that impressive structure.
The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link is an engineering marvel. It connects Shenzhen and Zhongshan. These cities lie on opposite sides of the Pearl River Delta.
This link is a bridge-tunnel system. It includes the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Tunnel and Zhongshan Bridge. The project starts at Bao’an International Airport in Shenzhen. Think of it as a super highway across the water.
Completed in 2024, the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link cost about $4.83 billion. It sits 27 km from the Humen Bridge. It is also 32 km north of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge. This positions it perfectly to ease traffic in the area.
Shenzhen wanted to be part of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge project. But, they ended up creating their own link to Zhongshan. This idea surfaced in 2008. Finally, it became part of the Guangdong government’s plan in 2011.
The link features a 6.7 km tunnel. It also has 19 bridges, totaling 43 km. A continuous 15.5 km of bridge stretches above the sea. You are currently standing on one small part of this immense structure, the Shaling 1# Bridge.
With four lanes in each direction, cars can travel at 100 km/h. The bridge connects major expressways. It slashed travel time between Shenzhen and Zhongshan. What once took two hours is now just 30 minutes.
The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link opened to traffic on June 30, 2024. Soon after, bus lines connected Shenzhen and Zhongshan. Initial reports mentioned congestion. Some drivers even detoured via the Humen Bridge.
In its first month, over 3 million vehicles crossed the link.
The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link boasts some incredible records. It has the largest span for an offshore steel box girder suspension bridge at 1,666 meters. The bridge deck soars 91 meters high. It also features the largest offshore suspension bridge anchor.
The bridge can withstand winds up to 83.7 meters per second. Its steel bridge deck has a vast hot-mix epoxy asphalt paving. This covers 378,800 square meters.
The link includes the longest two-way, eight-lane immersed tube tunnel. This stretches 5,035 meters. It also has the widest underwater steel shell-concrete immersed tube tunnel. It is up to 55.6 meters wide.
The tunnel used the largest single-volume cast for a steel-shell immersed tube. This used self-compacting concrete. Finally, it features the widest repeatedly foldable M-shaped water stop. This is used in the final joint of the immersed tube tunnel.
The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link also features the world’s first underwater expressway interchange. It is quite the feat of engineering.
The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link not only eases travel. It also stands as a testament to modern engineering. It showcases China’s expertise in transportation. Shaling 1# Bridge is just a small piece of this mega-project. But it plays a vital role in connecting these two bustling cities.