The record setting Sutong Bridge linking Suzhou and Nantong in neighboring Jiangsu Province will open to traffic next month, Eastday.com report today.

Upon completion, a journey from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport to Nantong City will be cut to one hour, the report said.

The deck of the bridge, a two-way highway with six lanes, has been completed. The workers are welding the guardrail on the bridge now, according to the report.

The bridge, which began in June 2003, totals 32.4 kilometers across the Yangtze River. The main span of 1,088 meters sets a world record for a strayed-cable bridge. The bridge is solely designed and constructed by Chinese experts.

The previous record holder was the Tatara Bridge in Japan, which has a main span of 890 meters.

(Shanghai Daily December 14, 2007)