The Shanghai-Suzhou-Nantong Yangtze River Bridge, the world's first bridge with a span of more than 1,000 meters that can accommodate both cars and trains, begins operations in Nantong, Jiangsu province, on July 1, 2020. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Shanghai-Suzhou-Nantong Yangtze River Bridge, the world's first bridge with a span of more than 1,000 meters that can accommodate both cars and trains, began operating in Nantong, Jiangsu province, on July 1.

As the second dual-use bridge in Jiangsu, following the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge, the newly opened structure will greatly ease traffic congestion that currently occurs on two neighboring Yangtze River bridges in Nantong and Wuxi. Travel time between Nantong and Wuxi will be cut in half to just 40 minutes.

With a designed speed of 200 kilometers per hour, the new bridge will also cut travel time between Nantong and China's economic hub, Shanghai, from 3.5 hours to just 1 hour and 6 minutes.

The railway starts from Nantong and enters Shanghai through Zhangjiagang, Changshu, and Taicang in Suzhou, Jiangsu.

The Shanghai-Suzhou-Nantong Yangtze River Bridge, the world's first bridge with a span of more than 1,000 meters that can accommodate both cars and trains, begins operations in Nantong, Jiangsu province, on July 1, 2020. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Shanghai-Suzhou-Nantong Yangtze River Bridge stretches 11,072 meters, and has a single span of 1,092 meters. It took six years and four months to build the section between Nantong and Zhangjiagang, a county-level city in Suzhou.

The new bridge is expected to contribute to the integration of the Yangtze River Delta and bolster the economy of one of China's most developed regions, according to the country's top transport authorities.