The Chongqi Bridge (崇启大桥), serving as a vital artery connecting Shanghai and Jiangsu Province, is strategically positioned at the mouth of the Yangtze River. Not only does it form an integral part of China’s Shanghai-Xi’an Expressway (National Expressway G40), but it also serves as a crucial intercity passage in the Yangtze River Delta expressway network, marking Shanghai’s inaugural direct link to northern Jiangsu Province via a high-speed roadway. Stretching a grand total of 51.763 kilometers, with a 6.78-kilometer span over the river, the bridge accommodates a dual six-lane expressway, boasting a design speed of up to 100 kilometers per hour.
The construction journey of the Chongqi Bridge has been marked by twists and turns. As early as October 2003, Shanghai and Jiangsu signed an agreement to jointly expedite the progress of the Chongqi Bridge construction, aiming to ensure synchronicity with the Shanghai-Chongming Cross-River Passage. On November 10, 2006, the project proposal for the Chongqi Bridge received approval from the National Development and Reform Commission. Subsequently, after a series of preparatory endeavors, including the approval of flood control assessment reports and feasibility studies, the Chongqi Bridge officially commenced construction on August 1, 2008. After several years of construction, the main bridge closure was achieved on February 25, 2011, marking the completion of the entire bridge and its subsequent opening to traffic on December 24 of the same year.
The engineering prowess of the Chongqi Bridge is evident in its distinctive features. The main bridge adopts a six-span steel continuous beam design, with separate alignments for the up and down lanes. The upper structure utilizes variable-section steel box girders, while the lower structure employs concrete piers combined with bored pile foundations. The south and north approach bridges are designed respectively with prefabricated spliced concrete continuous girders and cast-in-place concrete continuous girders. The main girders utilize double-section variable-section straight-web steel continuous box girders, with the top and bottom plates of the steel box girders adopting orthogonal anisotropic plate structures, showcasing unique design characteristics.
The completion of the Chongqi Bridge has profoundly impacted the surrounding regions. It fundamentally improves the transportation conditions between Qidong and Shanghai, shortening the overland distance by nearly 100 kilometers and forming a one-hour transportation circle between Qidong and Shanghai. This change not only reinforces Qidong’s position as a transportation hub in the northern wing of the Yangtze River Delta but also creates highly favorable conditions for Qidong to integrate more swiftly into the world’s sixth-largest international metropolitan area, led by Shanghai, in the Yangtze River Delta region. Furthermore, the construction of the Chongqi Bridge further highlights Qidong’s locational advantages, facilitating accelerated adjustments in industrial structure and enabling Qidong to develop into a base for receiving Shanghai’s and international industries’ transfer by leveraging its “bridgehead” advantage in the northern wing of the Yangtze River Delta.