Shanghai: China formally opened what it says is the world's longest sea-crossing structure today, a 36 kilometer bridge spanning a bay just south of the eastern business hub of Shanghai.

The Hangzhou Bay Bridge links Shanghai to the industrial city of Ningbo across Hangzhou Bay, cutting the driving distance between them by 120 kilometers.

The official opening was shown live on state television today. The official Xinhua News Agency said traffic would start running on the six-lane bridge later today.

The bridge is a cable-stayed structure built at a cost of $1.7 billion. Construction started in November 2003.

The 32.5 kilometer Donghai Bridge had been the previous longest sea-crossing structure, linking Shanghai to the massive Yangshan deep water port.

Some of the financing for the bridge came from private sources, a first for such a large infrastructure project in China.
Source : PTI