World's longest cable-stayed bridge opens in China

Jiashao Bridge, which Chinese media are calling the world’s longest and widest multi-tower cable-stayed bridge, opened to traffic this morning at midnight. The bridge is an eight lane structure that spans 10.1 kilometres across Hangzhou Bay, connecting Jiaxing and Shaoxing, two cities of Zhejiang province. Bridge-crossers will be charged a toll of 40 yuan (HK$50) for the trip.

Excited fans eager to be the first to cross the bridge began queuing up three hours before its opening, Zhejiang News reported. Li Xinqiao, the first to cross the bridge, was a businessman travelling to Shanghai who had originally planned to set off in the afternoon. After discovering that Jiashao Bridge was opening to travellers at midnight, he decided to set off earlier so that he could see the bridge for himself.

Shanghai, which is located to the northeast of Jiaxing, would normally be a three hour trip for drivers coming from Shaoxing. Jiashao Bridge was estimated to cut this travel time down to one and a half hours, Zhejiang News reported.

Photos of Jiashao Bridge and Li Xinqiao appeared on Sina Weibo after the bridge’s opening. Many posters were quick to point out that it was an ironic coincidence that a man named “Xinqiao”, which can mean “new bridge” in Chinese, was the first to cross. Some also expressed interest in crossing the bridge and visiting Jiaxing and Shanghai more easily.

“[China] has the world’s longest and the world’s finest [bridge],” one poster wrote. “This makes me proud.”