"Upon completion, the underwater eight-traffic-lane tunnel of Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link will mark a world record as the widest immersed tunnel with the widest road bores," noted Zhong Huihong, Deputy Director of the Shenzhong Link Administration Center.

Shenzhong Link's Zhongshan Bridge under construction

The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link is a grand and complex project stretching for 24 kilometers and consists of two artificial islands, two high-level bridges, a causeway, and an immersed tunnel. It will serve as a corridor to Nansha of Guangzhou, Qianhai of Shenzhen, Cuiheng of Zhongshan, and Hengqin of Zhuhai, and support Guangdong's continuous growth.

Before construction, Zhong's team went to exchange with experts who have experience in the design and construction of the Øresund Bridge in Denmark, the Busan-Geoje Link in Korea, the Channel Tunnel in Britain, and other major projects around the globe. An international design competition was held online to solicit proposals and advice for this Link's technical excellence and aesthetic appearance.

"Most of our teammates have the experience of building the Hongkong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, and the technology applied to construction has been updating, saving 8-10 months of the construction time," said Zhong.

Spanning over 1,666 meters, Lingdingyang Bridge is the highest offshore suspension bridge in the world with its 91-meter height, 20 meters higher than the common height of such bridges around the world. This height is fully discussed by experts considering the growing capacity of ships setting off from Nansha Port and their need to pass by the sea area under the bridge.

On April 28 of 2023, Lingdingyang Bridge got its final segments joined, signaling all sections of bridges of this Link have been joined together.

According to Zhong, the bridge is at the final stage of construction, with electricity, lighting, fire control services, internet, and other facilities remaining to be set up. 5,000 to 6,000 workers are working on the construction. 

This Link is expected to open to traffic in 2024.