New bridge in Greater Bay Area reaches milestone

The Jinma Bridge, a key component of the Guangzhou-Zhaoqing Expressway project, was successfully joined on Monday, laying a solid foundation for traffic redirection by the end of this year.

The bridge connects the Gaoyao district of Zhaoqing with Foshan's Sanshui district in the heart of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The new bridge is 1,936 meters long, with a deck width of 23.75 meters and a main tower 132.35 meters tall.

It essentially has the look of the existing Jinma Bridge, as both are single-tower, cable-stayed bridges and feature an H-shaped pylon design.

Once completed and open to traffic, the twin bridges will each operate as four-lane, one-way passages, effectively doubling traffic capacity and establishing a golden corridor that supports the integration of Guangzhou, Foshan and Zhaoqing.

"It is not merely a simple replica of the original but represents a comprehensive upgrade in construction," said Diao Huanxin, director of the project's management office.

The new bridge includes extensive upgrades —including improvements in materials, structural design and technology — to ensure greater durability, safety and functionality than the old bridge, Diao said.