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The new Jinma Bridge, a key component of the Guangzhou-Zhaoqing Expressway construction and expansion project, was successfully joined on June 22. (Photo provided to China Daily)

The Jinma Bridge, a key component of the Guangzhou-Zhaoqing Expressway project, was successfully joined on June 22, laying a solid foundation for traffic redirection by the end of this year.

The bridge connects the Gaoyao district of Zhaoqing with Foshan's Sanshui district in the heart of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The new bridge is 1,936 meters long, with a deck width of 23.75 meters and a main tower 132.35 meters tall.

It essentially has the look of the existing Jinma Bridge, as both are single-tower, cable-stayed bridges and feature an H-shaped pylon design.

Once completed and open to traffic, the twin bridges will each operate as four-lane, one-way passages, effectively doubling traffic capacity and establishing a golden corridor that supports the integration of Guangzhou, Foshan and Zhaoqing.

"It is not merely a simple replica of the original but represents a comprehensive upgrade in construction," said Diao Huanxin, director of the project's management office.

The new bridge includes extensive upgrades — including improvements in materials, structural design and technology — to ensure greater durability, safety and functionality than the old bridge, Diao said.

The new Jinma Bridge, a key component of the Guangzhou-Zhaoqing Expressway construction and expansion project, was successfully joined on June 22. (Photo provided to China Daily)

The new bridge departs from the mainly concrete design of the old bridge by adopting a continuous-cable-stayed, steel-concrete composite girder cooperative system structure.

"The design optimizes the distribution of structural forces, achieving an optimal balance of internal forces and stiffness," Diao said.

The use of steel-concrete composite girders significantly reduces the weight of the cable-stayed section of the bridge by more than 9,000 tons compared with the old bridge, decreasing the amount of concrete used and reducing the load on the tower and cables.

The project will now focus on comprehensive advancements in the bridge deck system, the installation of crash barriers and pavement and ancillary works, with the goal of achieving traffic redirection by the end of the year.

Once the new one is operating, the old bridge will be closed for renovation.

Currently, more than 70 percent of the Guangzhou-Zhaoqing Expressway reconstruction and expansion project — with a total length of 51.1 kilometers — has been completed, according to the Guangdong Transportation Group.

The project is scheduled to be finished and open to traffic by the end of next year, helping facilitate the deeper integration of the surrounding regions into the coordinated development framework of the Greater Bay Area.