On March 13, the 1,200-meter Dasha Canal Bridge, a key component of the Second Humen Bridge currently under construction, completed testing for both static and dynamic loads.

The bridge spans from Dongyong town, Nansha district, Guangzhou to Shatian town, Dongguan and is connected to the Guangzhou-Shenzhen Yanjiang Expressway.

The dynamic load test for the Second Humen Bridge. Testing involves two trucks loaded to 70 tons running at a speed of 10 to 60 kilometers per hour over the bridge. [Photo/cnr.cn]

The Second Humen Bridge is the world's widest steel-box-girder suspension bridge, consisting of eight lanes and having a maximum load capacity of 100,000 vehicles per day. It is scheduled to open to traffic before May 1, providing a new way to travel across the Pearl River.

The bridge will cut travel time between Guangzhou and Dongguan by 30 minutes and ease pressure on the existing 20-year-old Humen Bridge, the only east-west link across the Pearl River, which has already been operating at full capacity.

The main structure of the bridge is nearly complete and the final steps, such as paving, the installation of expansion joints, and electromechanical safety measures, are currently being carried out, according to the head of the project. He said despite recent rainy weather, which affects construction, workers and engineers hope to complete the bridge and open it to traffic before May 1.

Static load testing is carried out, with 120 trucks carrying a weight of 4,200 tons driving across the bridge in groups. [Photo/cnr.cn]

The bridge is scheduled to open to traffic by May. [Photo/cnr.cn]