Construction officially began on Tuesday on the long-awaited tunnel and bridge spanning the Yangtze River at Chongming Island, marking a milestone in the island's development.

Planning for the project started in the early 1990s and the State Council finally approved it in July this year. It is expected to take five years to finish and cost 12.3 billion yuan (US$1.5 billion).

The project will also make up an important section of the road between Shanghai and Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi Province.

The tunnel and bridge will extend a total of 25.5 kilometers, beginning at Wuhaogou in Pudong and incorporating two 8.9-kilometer tunnels to Changxing Island and a 10.3-kilometer bridge to Chenjia town on Chongming.

The main span of the cable-stayed bridge will be 730 meters and will allow the passage of 30,000-ton standard container vessels and 50,000-ton cargo ships.

The bridge will also have six vehicle lanes designed for traffic traveling 100 kilometers per hour.

The local Xinmin Evening News quoted Huang Rong, who is in charge of the construction site, as saying, "We have no experience in building bridges or tunnels at the estuary of the Yangtze River and our biggest goal is not only quality but also environmental friendliness."

Shanghai Party Secretary Chen Liangyu, Mayor Han Zheng and Minister of Communications Zhang Chunxian attended the groundbreaking ceremony.

(China Daily December 29, 2004)