Shanghai bridge-tunnel opens to traffic

A bridge and tunnel linking Shanghai Pudong and China's third largest island has opened to traffic. The length of the link and the investment in the project are all new world records.

A bridge and tunnel linking Shanghai Pudong and China's third largest island has opened to traffic.

The 25.5-kilometer-long link, built at a cost of 12.6 billion yuan, includes a 8.9-kilometer tunnel that boasts the world's largest diameter. It connects Pudong and Chongming Island, with a bridge connecting Chongming and Changxing Island.

Residents on Chongming Island used to have no choice but to take a ferry. The new link cuts the one and a half hour boat trip from Shanghai's booming Pudong New District to Chongming Island to 20 minutes.

Chongming Island Resident said "We used to queue for boat tickets at 4 or 5 A.M. in the morning, and it was even worse during festivals. But now we don't need to worry, buses come every 15 minutes."

Another tunnel from the island to northern Jiangsu Province is being built and is expected to open in 2012. The new link will not only drive the local economies, but also promote regional economies in the northern part of Yangtze River Delta.

Dai Xiaojian, GM of SH Yangtze River Tunnel Bridge Construction & Dev't Co. Ltd. said "The bridge-tunnel completes the coastal routeway in Shanghai. It's significant for traffic, as well as promoting inshore areas' economies."

With the new convenient route, Shanghai has moved many equipment manufacturing enterprises to Changxing Island.