Wusong River Bridge opens after reconstruction
Part of the rebuilt Wusong River Bridge opens to traffic on Tuesday.
Part of a reconstruction project on the Wusong River Bridge was completed on Tuesday to improve traffic on the G1503 expressway and connections between Shanghai and neighboring Jiangsu Province.
The western deck of the new bridge opened to traffic on Tuesday afternoon after more than a year of demolition and reconstruction without disrupting the busy traffic over the river, known as the upstream of Suzhou Creek, according to the Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Co Road and Bridge Group, the city's major road and bridge constructor.
The project is part of the waterway treatment campaign approved by the State Council to improve flood prevention, the ecological environment and transport capacity of the Taihu Lake Stream. The campaign has been listed as a key interprovincial water project for the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta region.
The cross-river bridge is part of the G1503 beltway around the city in Qingpu District. It connects Anhe Road in Qingpu and Huaqiao in Kunshan, Jiangsu Province.
The old bridge was built in 2004 as the major channel between Shanghai and Jiangsu. Over 4,400 vehicles drive through the bridge per hour during rush hours, numbers the old bridge is hardly able to handle.
Only vessels lighter than 300 tons can sail beneath the 5-meter-tall old bridge, restricting water transport along the river, the group said.
Demolition began in May last year with half of the bridge deck remaining open to traffic. Ships were also allowed to sail during the project, the group said.
The new bridge, said to be the longest and widest steel box girder bridge in Shanghai, spans 1,573 meters over the river. The bridge was assembled on site with 18 steel and concrete boxes to reduce the effect on traffic and the environment.
The reconstruction project was completed in 13 months, five months ahead of schedule. The main span of the bridge has been increased to 138 meters from 66 meters, while the height was elevated to 7 meters from 5.
The eastern part of the bridge will have been renovated by January 2022 and the new bridge will wholly open by June 2022.
The 125-kilometer Wusong River originates in Taihu Lake in Jiangsu and winds through the cities of Suzhou, Kunshan and Shanghai before finally emptying into the Huangpu River. The downtown section of the river is known as Suzhou Creek.
The old Wusong River Bridge
An artist's rendition of the Wusong River Bridge project.
