The Shanghai-Suzhou-Nantong Yangtze River Bridge, starting from Nantong and entering Shanghai through Zhangjiagang, a county-level city in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, began operating on July 1. That same day, the Zhangjiagang Railway Station opened to the public, bringing new development opportunities to Zhangjiagang.

This is the world's first bridge with a span of more than 1,000 meters that serves both cars and trains, and an important part of the "eight vertical and eight horizontal" high-speed railway network planned by the national medium and long-term railway network.

Zhangjiagang, a port city along the Yangtze River, boasts a strategic location and strong industrial foundation. The Zhangjiagang Port, one of the largest international trade ports along the Yangtze River, has more than 40 container routes and has carried out trade with more than 320 ports in over 90 countries.

"With the opening of the Shanghai-Suzhou-Nantong Yangtze River Bridge, Zhangjiagang will form a new development model by taking full advantage of the port and railway, creating a multimodal transport network composed of highways, railways, and waterways," said Pan Guoqiang, Party secretary of Zhangjiagang.

Pan noted that it will not only greatly improve traffic efficiency in the city, but also accelerate the integration of the Yangtze River Delta.

"The traffic between Zhangjiagang and Shanghai will be shortened from two hours by highway to just one hour by railway," Pan said.

Zhangjiagang will seize upon the huge development opportunities brought about by the new bridge and ramp up efforts to attract more high-quality investment projects from China and abroad. The city will develop a modern industrial system to speed up the coordinated development of the real economy, scientific and technological innovation, modern finance, and human resources, aiming to inject fresh momentum into the city's high-quality development, Pan added.