A rendering of the Zhangjiagang-Rugao Bridge [Photo/zjgonline.com.cn]

The Zhangjiagang government published the construction scheme of the Zhangjiagang-Rugao Bridge on Aug 25, according to a local news report.

According to the scheme, the bridge will have a total length of 30 kilometers and consist of two sections, one crossing the main part of the Yangtze River with a span of 2,300 meters, and the other crossing a branch of the river with a span of 1,208 m.

The bridge is expected to be the world's largest span bridge and will link the cities of Zhangjiagang, Jinjiang, and Rugao in the province of Jiangsu. It will feature an eight-lane expressway supporting speeds of up to 100 kilometer per hour.

According to the scheme, the project will cost about 25 billion yuan ($3.66 billion) and open to the public in 2026.

Local authorities said that the Zhangjiagang-Rugao Bridge will significantly ease traffic congestion on the Jiangyin Yangtze Bridge.

Zhangjiagang and Rugao sit across the Yangtze River from each other, and are very close in terms of location, ancestry, and cultural background. The bridge will not only greatly improve traffic efficiency between Zhangjiagang and Rugao, but also accelerate their integration into the Yangtze River Delta.