Qingdao Jiaozhou Bay Bridge
Jiaozhou Bay Bridge | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Coordinates | 36°10′12″N 120°17′54″E / 36.169913°N 120.298305°E |
| Carries | Motor vehicles |
| Crosses | Jiaozhou Bay |
| Locale | between Qingdao and Huangdao District, China |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Self-anchored suspension bridge and Cable-stayed bridge |
| Material | Prestressed concrete |
| Total length | 41.58 kilometres (25.84 mi) |
| History | |
| Designer | Shandong Gaosu Group |
| Construction start | late 2007 |
| Construction end | early 2011 |
| Construction cost | CN¥10 to 55 billion [1] |
| Opened | 30 June 2011 |
| Location | |
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| Qingdao Jiaozhou Bay Bridge | |||||||||||||||
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| Simplified Chinese | 胶州湾大桥 | ||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 膠州灣大橋 | ||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | Jiaozhou Bay Bridge | ||||||||||||||
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Jiaozhou Bay Bridge (or Qingdao Haiwan Bridge) is a roadway bridge in eastern China's Shandong province. It transects Jiaozhou Bay, connecting Huangdao District, the city of Qingdao and Hongdao Island (the bridge is "T" shaped with 3 entry/exit points, see map).[2] Opened on 30 June 2011, it reduces the road distance between Qingdao and Huangdao.[3][4] The bridge opened at the same time as the nearby Qing-Huang Tunnel, both part of the Jiaozhou Bay Connection Project.[5]
Jiaozhou Bay Bridge is 42.5 kilometres (26.4 mi)* long, making it according to Guinness World Records the world's longest bridge over water (aggregate length) as of July 2011[update].[3][4][6][7][8] The longest bridge over water "continuous length" is the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway,[9] the difference being the latter runs continuously over water while Jiaozhou Bay Bridge has parts over land.
The bridge was reported by the official state-run television company CCTV to cost CN¥10 billion (US$1.5 billion, GB£900 million), however, other sources reported costs as high as CN¥55 billion (US$8.8 billion, GB£5.5 billion).[1]
History
The bridge took four years to build, and employed at least 10,000 people.[3] 450,000 tons of steel and 2.3 million cubic metres (81×106 cu ft) of concrete were used in the construction of the bridge, which was designed by the Shandong Gaosu Group.[3] It is designed to be able to withstand severe earthquakes, typhoons, and collisions with ships.[3] The bridge is supported by more than 5,000 pillars, 35 metres (115 ft)* wide, carrying six lanes and two shoulders.
On the same day the bridge opened, the Qing-Huang Tunnel opened.[2] It also transects Jiaozhou Bay, also connecting Huangdao District and the city of Qingdao, between the narrow mouth of the bay which is 6.17 km (3.83 mi) wide. The tunnel is 9.47 km (5.88 mi) long.[2]
Concerns regarding the bridge's safety were raised when Chinese media reported that the bridge was opened with faulty elements, such as incomplete crash-barriers, missing lighting and loose nuts on guard-rails, with workers stating that it would take two months before finishing all of the projects related to the bridge.[10] Shao Xinpeng, the bridge's chief engineer, claimed that in spite of the safety report the bridge was safe and ready for traffic, adding that the problems highlighted in the reports were not major.
See also
References
- ^ a b Staff writers (30 June 2011). "A marathon span: China opens world's longest bridge over water". MSNBC. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
- ^ a b c "Qingdao bridge sets world record". China Economic Net. 1 July 2011. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
- ^ a b c d e David Eimer (8 January 2011). "China builds world's longest bridge". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
- ^ a b An (30 June 2011). "World's longest cross-sea bridge opens in east China". Xinhua. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
- ^ Jiaozhou Bay Connection Project Template:Language icon, includes maps and diagrams.
- ^ Uri Friedman (30 June 2011). "A Visual Tour of the World's Longest Sea Bridge". The Atlantic Wire. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
- ^ Staff writers (30 June 2011). "A marathon span: China opens world's longest bridge over water". MSNBC. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
- ^ Longest bridge over water (aggregate length), Guinness World Records. Last accessed July 2011.
- ^ Longest bridge over water (continuous length), Guinness World Records. Last accessed July 2011.
- ^ Staff writers (7 July 2011). "China's record-breaking Jiaozhou bridge 'is safe'". BBC News. Retrieved 11 May 2012.