Xiamen-Jinmen Bridge, a giant dragon winds across the sea

In the east of Xiamen, Fujian province, a cross-sea bridge is under construction. The construction trestles and various work platforms stretching across the sea resemble a winding steel dragon. It is the construction site of the Xiamen-Jinmen Bridge (Xiamen section) project.

The Xiamen-Jinmen Bridge (Xiamen section) is a key transportation route connecting Xiamen Island with Xiamen Xiang'an International Airport, with a total length of approximately 19.6 kilometers.

The Liuwudian Channel Bridge, built by China Communications Construction Company's Second Harbor Engineering Company, is one of the key control parts of the project. It has the largest span yet of any bridge in Fujian province and is also the first fully offshore cable-secured bridge in Fujian.

After the full opening of the Xiamen-Jinmen Bridge (Xiamen section), it will work together with Xiang'an Airport and the Xiamen-Jinmen air route to establish a new three-dimensional transportation pattern across the Taiwan Strait.

This will be of great significance for Fujian province in exploring new paths for integrated development across the Taiwan Strait and in constructing a demonstration zone for integrated development between the two sides. Additionally, it will be the most convenient link between Xiamen Island and Xiang'an Airport.

The main structures of the Xiamen-Jinmen Bridge (Xiamen section) are primarily sea-crossing bridges, located in a completely offshore construction environment. The construction process faces harsh conditions, such as being far off-shore, as well as tidal fluctuations, frequent typhoons, and high temperatures and humidity.

During the bridge´s construction, which began in October 2023, the construction team has used prefabricated viaduct panels made of a new type of composite fiber, concrete material and introduced methods such as dredging the seabed with the "Jinguang" dredging vessel, widely known as the "world's best dredger," to ensure the progress of the project.

The building process has achieved three "national bests" in terms of the depth, area, and volume of underwater caisson excavation.

Currently, the Xiamen-Jinmen Bridge (Xiamen section) project is progressing steadily. In the following stages, the bridge will undergo the sinking, transportation, and placement of caissons. Then it will have a stable load-bearing structure, ensuring its stability.