China Sets 10 World Records with New Bridge and Tunnel Sea Crossing

Over the weekend, China inaugurated the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link, a new cross-sea tunnel and bridge complex situated in Guangdong Province, South China. This architectural feat reportedly sets 10 world records, albeit in very specific categories.

The Pearl River estuary, where the Pearl River meets the South China Sea, is among the world’s most densely populated regions. It encompasses Hong Kong, Macao, and nine cities in Guangdong, separated by expansive bodies of water, posing significant transportation challenges.

The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link aims to address this issue. Stretching over 24 km (15 miles), it connects two cities situated on opposite banks of the Pearl River estuary. Unlike a single long bridge, the link includes an underwater tunnel positioned between two artificial islands, each connected to the respective city by bridges.

Enhanced Connectivity and Efficiency

Featuring eight lanes capable of supporting speeds up to 100 km/h (62 mph), the link reportedly reduces what is typically a two-hour drive to just 30 minutes. Following seven years of construction, the link officially opened to traffic at 3 pm local time on June 30th.

According to the China Global Television Network (CGTN), the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link establishes 10 new world records. These records are not conventional ones like the longest or largest bridge; rather, they are remarkably specific. Here is the list:

1. Longest span for a fully offshore steel box girder suspension bridge (1,666 meters / 5,466 feet).
2. Highest bridge deck (91 meters / 299 feet).
3. Highest navigation clearance for a sea bridge.
4. Largest offshore suspension bridge anchor (344,000 cubic meters / 12 million cubic feet of concrete).
5. Highest wind resistance test speed for a suspension bridge (83.7 meters / 273.6 feet per second).
6. Largest steel bridge deck with hot-mix epoxy asphalt paving (378,800 square meters / 4 million square feet).
7. Longest two-way, eight-lane immersed tube tunnel (5,035 meters / 16,519 feet).
8. Widest underwater steel shell-concrete immersed tube tunnel (up to 55.6 meters / 182.4 feet).
9. Largest single-volume cast for a steel-shell immersed tube using self-compacting concrete (29,000 cubic meters / 1 million cubic feet per tube section).
10. Widest repeatedly foldable M-shaped water stop used in the final joint of an immersed tube tunnel (3 meters / 9.8 feet).

It is also notable as the world’s inaugural underwater expressway interchange and airport interchange.

Advanced Safety and Monitoring Systems

In addition, the tunnel section incorporates intriguing safety measures, including advanced firefighting and smoke exhaust systems. A team of 14 robots continuously patrols the tunnel, monitoring the operational pipes and cables, and can detect vehicle accidents. In such instances, they can reportedly manage traffic using integrated loudspeakers and capture footage for transmission to a remote control center.

The tunnel also features wall-mounted lights with color-coded systems: green indicates normal conditions, while red signals emergencies. These lights can progressively shift from yellow to green along the tunnel’s length to guide evacuations.

The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link complements the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, the world’s longest sea crossing bridge located approximately 31 km (19 miles) away, improving transportation in these densely populated regions.

Read the oriiginal article on: New Atlas

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