With the rumble of drilling rigs, the first pile of Hangzhou Bay Railway Bridge, an integral part of the Nantong-Suzhou-Jiaxing-Ningbo High-speed Railway, was drilled recently, marking the full start of offshore construction on the world's longest cross-sea high-speed railway bridge.
With a total length of 29.2 kilometers, Hangzhou Bay Railway Bridge is an ultra-long high-speed railway bridge cluster project. The main span of the north part is 450 meters, which is the world's largest span ballastless track cable-stayed bridge, and the main span of the middle part is 2×448 meters, which is the world's largest span ballastless track three tower cable-stayed bridge. In order to solve the difficulties in the construction, a scientific research team was specially set up to carry out research on topics as the construction technology of 160 meters deep large-diameter drilled piles in strong tidal sea areas and the precast erection technology of 80 meters prestressed concrete beams.
"With a designated speed of 350 kilometers per hour, Hangzhou Bay Railway Bridge is the longest cross-sea bridge in China. It is also the first time that we encounter such a strong tidal bay and complicated sea conditions. The successful completion of this bridge will bring experience for reference and copy to the subsequent construction of offshore high-speed railway bridges," said Jia Weizhong, Chief engineer of Hangzhou Bay Railway Bridge Project Department of China Railway Major Bridge Engineering Group.
Nantong-Suzhou-Jiaxing-Ningbo High-speed Railway is an import part of the national high-speed railway network made up of eight south-to-north and eight east-to-west high-speed railways, with a designated speed of 350 kilometers per hour. It starts from Nantongxi Railway Station of Yancheng-Nantong High-speed Railway, passes Suzhou and Jiaxing, and ends at Ningbo Railway Station. After completion, the railway will become the most convenient railway artery connecting Nantong to Suzhou, and cities in Zhejiang Province including Jiaxing, Ningbo, and Hangzhou, which is of great significance to boosting the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, enhancing the innovation and competitiveness of the region, and improving the degree of economic agglomeration and regional connectivity.
