Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link enters load-testing phase

As the sun sets, a convoy of cargo trucks traverse the expansive two-way, eight-lane Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link on Saturday, signaling the initiation of its bridge load-testing phase. Over the course of five days, the trucks, arranged into formations, will cross over the Zhongshan Bridge, the Lingdingyang Bridge, and the non-navigation bridge, thus allowing every facet of the bridges’ design and load-bearing capacity to be scrutinized. The cross-sea highway project between Shenzhen and Zhongshan, which includes an underwater tunnel and two artificial islands, stands as one of the most challenging cross-sea cluster projects in the world. With its scheduled opening in June, the link is poised to dramatically reduce the travel time between the two cities from two hours to under 30 minutes. Yan Junwei