The main structure of the Guojiatuo Yangtze River Bridge [Photo/liangjiang.gov.cn]

The successful hoisting of the last steel truss girder of the Guojiatuo Yangtze River Bridge – located in the Liangjiang New Area in Southwest China's Chongqing municipality – on March 15 has drawn much attention from the public.

It marks the completion of 90 percent of the construction project and the beginning of the next phase, which consists of the construction of the bridge deck and the bridge's supporting facilities.

The bridge has been hailed as China's largest-span public-rail dual-use suspension bridge and is expected to open to traffic by the end of this year. It will shorten drive time between the new area and the tea garden from 40 minutes to 10 minutes.

The bridge is necessary for connecting Chongqing's core urban areas to the other side of the Yangtze River and for building Metro Line 8. The bridge stretches from Guojiatuo sub-district in the north to Xiakou town in the south, with a total length of 6.2 kilometers.

The bridge is expected to alleviate traffic congestion and contribute to the development of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle.