
WUHAN, July 18 -- Zhixi Yangtze River Bridge, which stretches over China's longest river, opened for traffic Monday in Yichang City.
The 838-meter suspension bridge is the second of its kind in the world to be made with composite steel concrete beams without a supporting pier.
The 2.8 billion yuan-(418 million U.S. dollars) project, which has six two-way lanes, is the sixth Yangtze River bridge in Yichang, central China's Hubei Province.
Feng Yi, chief engineer with the construction firm, the China Railway Major Bridge Engineering Group Co. Ltd., said the bridge was built with new patented materials and technology. The pierless design ensures convenience for river navigation and water passage so that the migration patterns of rare aquatic species, such as Chinese sturgeon, are not effected.
The Yangtze links China's wealthy coast and its vast inland.
The bridge is expected to ease the city's traffic. Yichang currently has four other bridges over the Yangtze either in the planning or construction stage.
"Straddling bus" starts production in east China
Girl goes viral for finger-long toes
Five made-in-China hi-tech breakthroughs
HK-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge to open to traffic
China opens its first combined transport service to Nepal
Students take stylish bikini graduations photos
Charming dancing students pose for graduation photos
Guizhou, Yunnan section of Shanghai-Kunming railway connected
Naked models transformed into landscapes, birds and even DRAGONS by body painting artist
Top 10 livable Chinese cities
Top 20 hottest women in the world in 2014
Top 10 hardest languages to learn
China’s Top 10 Unique Bridges, Highways and Roads
Arbitration will only entail loss for Tokyo
France faces uphill anti-terror struggle: Experts
China may lose US WTO export duties challenge
Meager beginnings transformed into fortune for foreign entrepreneurs in ChinaDay|Week