Hangzhou Bay Cross-Sea Railway Bridge a world-renowned mega cross-sea engineering project

The groundbreaking ceremony of the Nantong-Suzhou-Jiaxing-Ningbo High-speed Railway (Zhejiang section) was held on Nov 30, 2022, marking the official commencement of the construction of the Hangzhou Bay Cross-Sea Railway Bridge, the world's longest high-speed rail cross-sea bridge.

The entire project is scheduled to be completed within a total construction period of five years.

The Nantong-Suzhou-Jiaxing-Ningbo High-speed Railway is one of the few north-south high-speed rail corridors in the Yangtze River Delta region. The key control project of the entire railway line — the Hangzhou Bay Cross-Sea Railway Bridge — spans 29.2 kilometers, making it the longest and highest-standard high-speed rail cross-sea bridge in the world. Additionally, it is the first high-speed rail cross-sea bridge to span a strong tidal bay, has ultra-low water resistance and features fully embedded pier foundations.

The Hangzhou Bay Cross-Sea Railway Bridge under construction

The construction of the Hangzhou Bay Cross-Sea Railway Bridge has faced numerous challenges: the building conditions are greatly affected by the natural environment; the structure is novel, making the construction technology highly demanding; the schedule is tight; the construction safety risks are high; and the ecological and environmental protection requirements are stringent.

Construction of the mega bridge project requires advanced technology and makes it another world-renowned super cross-sea project in China. Once completed, it will become one of the landmark projects of China's high-speed railway cross-sea bridges.

Hangzhou Bay has long separated the Yangtze River Delta region into the northern and southern banks, resulting in poor connectivity between the cities in the region. Shanghai and Ningbo, the two economic powerhouses of the Yangtze River Delta region, are nearly 150 kilometers apart.

In 2008, the completion of the Hangzhou Bay Highway Bridge solved the problem of Ningbo people having to detour through Hangzhou before reaching Shanghai and cut their travel distance by more than 120 kilometers. This has significantly enhanced Ningbo's position in the transportation network of the Yangtze River Delta region.

Once the railway bridge from Nantong to Ningbo is completed, Ningbo will establish a well-connected railway network, fully opening up China's coastal railway corridor. This will give a strong push to the high-quality and integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta region.