The Qingdao Bridge spans Jiaozhou Bay, which connects the eastern and western parts of the Qingdao region in China. The construction reduces the distance from Qingdao to Little Qingdao, Red Island and Yellow Island by 30 km and allows access to the airport. It is estimated that more than 30,000 vehicles pass through it every day.
The length of the Qingdao Bridge is 42.5 km, about 26 km are directly above the water. The structure has no equal among similar structures thrown across water spaces, and therefore deservedly takes its place in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's longest bridge over water.
Project development
The Qingdao Bridge was built as part of a strategy to provide better connectivity between two rapidly growing industrial regions on both sides of the gulf. Qingdao, as one of the open coastal cities, has played a key role in the country's development strategy. The Huangdao area was connected to Qingdao City via a ferry service across Jiaozhou Bay, but the ferrywas not enough due to the growth of passenger and cargo flows. The six-lane bridge is part of the Qingdao Municipality High Speed Bridge and Tunnel Project. It is regarded as the starting point of the Qingdao-Lanzhou Expressway.
Construction phases
Construction began in 2007 and lasted 4 years. It required 450,000 tons of steel and 2.3 million cubic meters of concrete, as well as the participation of more than 10,000 people who worked on its construction around the clock. The average price of the project, according to various sources, ranges from 8 to 12 billion dollars. Construction began on both ends of the bay at the same time, and then the workers met at the center of the bridge.
The work was carried out in two stages. Phase I covered 28.8 km and Phase II covered 12.7 km. The first included the construction of the Kangkou Bridge, Dagu and Red Island, laying wires to the Yellow and Red Islands. Two interchanges, three spans and a toll station in Qingdao were also built during this phase. It was completed in December 2010.
The second phase included the construction of the road on the bridge, power supply and distribution, fencing, lighting, building and beautification of the site.
Contractors and suppliers
The bridge was designed by Shangdong Gausu Group. Shandong Hi-Speed Qingdao Highway, a subsidiary of Shandong High-Speed Group, has been appointed to build, operate and manage the bridge. She will be responsible for it for 25 years. The company also receives toll from Jiaozhou Bay Expressway, owns the rights to advertisingactivities, tourism development, operation of Qingdao Bridge and Jiaozhou Bay Expressway.
Special Features
The photo of the Qingdao Bridge shows the concrete piles on which it rests. Their number is 5127. The T-shaped road structure has the ability to withstand magnitude 8 earthquakes, as well as strong typhoons and the impact of a ship with a displacement of 300,000 tons. Jiaozhou Bay is covered with ice for 60 days annually, and the bridge is the largest structure on the frozen waters of China. The minimum service life is expected to be 100 years.
Under the bridge is a tunnel that shortens the distance between Qingdao and Huangdao by 29 kilometers. It is located at a depth of 81 meters below sea level. The length of the tunnel is 9.47 kilometers.
