The design sketch of Longmen Bridge. [Photo provided to chinanews.com]

The construction of Longmen Bridge in Qinzhou, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region officially started on Aug 31 and is expected to be completed in four years, with an overall investment of 5.71 billion yuan ($835.08 million).

Longmen Bridge is a major component of the principal line of the Guangxi Binhai Expressway, which is an important channel connecting the Beibu Gulf Economic Zone, the only coastal sightseeing highway in Guangxi, as well as an important supportive project in promoting the transportation integration of Beihai, Qinzhou, and Fangchenggang.

Zhou Wen, chairman of Guangxi Communications Investment Group Corporation Ltd, which is overseeing the investment and construction of the bridge, noted that the 7.6-kilometer-bridge goes across the Longmen Straits and its main bridge is 1,198 meters in length.

The bridge, which will be able to meet the navigation demands of 20,000-metic-ton ships, is the largest cross-sea bridge under planning in Guangxi and is the first mega bridge in Guangxi with its single span exceeding 1 km.

The construction of the bridge will apply the standards for first-level expressways and has been designed as a two-way six-lane expressway with a designated speed of 100 km per hour.

Lu Feng, vice mayor of Qinzhou, said that Longmen Bridge will effectively shorten the distance in time and space between Fangchenggang and Qinzhou Port, making contributions to the development of Qinzhou's costal tourism resources, as well as the rapid growth of the city cluster in the Beibu Gulf. 

Wei Ran, deputy director of the office for the planning and construction of the Beibu Gulf Economic Zone, noted that the bridge will help form a one-hour transportation circle among Beihai, Qinzhou, and Fangchenggang.