The construction of a railroad bridge across the Beidongkou Channel in Pingtan is in full swing, Pingtan Times reported on Jan 19.

Construction of a bridge across the Beidongkou Channel in Pingtan is underway. [Photo/pingtan.gov.cn]

Workers have built 10 of 14 sea platforms needed for the construction of the bridge, according to an engineering supervisor.

On the completed platforms, more than 600 workers are busy with foundation work for the piers of the bridge.

About half of the workers will stay during the Spring Festival holidays to accelerate the construction of the project, the supervisor added.

The bridge, linking Dalian islet and Pingtan Island, is part of the 16.3-km Pingtan Haixia Railroad Bridge, which connects Pingtan and Changle county. The cross-sea rail link will start from Songxia Port in Changle, stretch southeast over the Yuanhong channel, the Guyumen channel, Changyu Island, Xiaolian Island, the Xiaolian-Dalian island channel, Dalian Islet, Haitan Strait, and finally reach Suao town on Pingtan Island.

The Pingtan Haixia Railroad Bridge is part of the 88-km Fuzhou-Pingtan railway.

Background: Fuzhou-Pingtan Railway

Construction of the Fuzhou-Pingtan Railway – which will link the capital city of Fuzhou and the island county of Pingtan in Fujian province – began on Oct 31, 2013.

The line stretches 88.4 kilometers, with a designed speed of 160 km per hour (Fuzhou-Fuzhou South) and 200 km per hour (Fuzhou South to Pingtan), a passenger capacity of 50 million and cargo capacity of 15 million tons.

The railway project – with a total accrued investment of 26.8 billion yuan ($4.4 billion) – is expected to take over five years.