The Xiamen section of the Xiamen-Jinmen Bridge in Fujian province was linked up in the early hours of Tuesday, ahead of its scheduled opening at the end of the year, marking a significant milestone for connectivity across the Taiwan Strait.
Builders hoisted the final 3,318-metric-ton steel box girder into place using a 5,500-ton floating crane, before fine-tuning its alignment with synchronized hydraulic jacks.
The newly linked span is the final segment of the 14.2-kilometer offshore mainline. Crews are now paving the deck, installing electromechanical components and working on traffic safety.
Measuring a total of 19.6 km, the Xiamen section integrates the offshore bridge, branch links and onshore tunnels. Its cross-sea main route features a dual eight-lane highway designed for speeds of up to 100 km per hour.
Once it is open, the bridge will cut the travel time between Xiamen Island and Dadeng Island — home to the new Xiamen Xiang'an International Airport, which is also set to begin operations by the end of the year.
Designed as a direct cross-Strait transportation corridor linking Xiamen and Jinmen, the full bridge project is planned to extend from Xiamen Island via Dadeng Island to Jinmen Island to strengthen cross-Strait connectivity.
Chai Hsuan, a Taiwan internet influencer who has been tracking and filming the project for two years, said that she was greatly astonished by the rapid progress made on the Chinese mainland.
"Last year, there was only a temporary trestle when I was filming there, with no main tower in sight," Chai recalled. "Returning just a year later, I was shocked to learn that it is on track for completion by year-end."
Contrasting the project with the construction of bridges in Taiwan, some of which have dragged on for decades, Chai said that the speed of construction on the Chinese mainland is a testament to both great dedication and engineering ingenuity.
"When a deck section is fitted into the main tower, it's like threading a needle in midair. Even a tiny error could damage the main tower. That really impressed me," she said. "We also hope Taiwan can keep pace with this progress."
Currently, maritime ferries remain the only transportation link between Xiamen and Jinmen, a journey that takes about half an hour and is susceptible to severe weather.
Despite strong grassroots calls for a permanent physical link, progress on the Jinmen section has not yet started due to obstruction from Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party authorities.
Tang Hua, an associate professor of cross-Strait relations at Xiamen University, said that feasibility studies for the Jinmen segment are proceeding.
"Once the full corridor opens, the drive from Jinmen to Xiamen will take just around 10 minutes," Tang said, adding that Taiwan and Jinmen residents will also be able to use the new Xiamen airport.
Crucially, she added, the direct supply of water, electricity and gas will meet the local population's livelihood needs, as the island lacks resources. "This will drastically lower the cost of living for Jinmen residents by ensuring more abundant supplies," Tang said.
She added that the cross-sea bridge will bring tangible benefits to the people, highlighting the mainland's pragmatic actions to advance cross-Strait infrastructure connectivity.
