New bridge in China is so big it broke 10 world records at the same time
A bridge in China has earned itself some impressive accolades after claims it broke multiple world records.
After seven years of construction, China officially opened a mega-project in Guangdong Province last month consisting of two bridges, two artificial islands and one underwater tunnel.
And the project is reported as having broken a whopping '10 world records'.
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The bridge - named the Shenzhen-Zhonshan Link - begins at Shenzhen airport interchange and reaches all the way over the Pearl River to Ma'anshan Island in Zhongshan.
It's reported by China Global Television Network (CGTN) as spanning a staggering 24-kilometers.
And if that wasn't impressive enough, the network claims the bridge has also broken a whopping '10 world records'.
1. Longest two-way, eight-lane immersed tube tunnel
The Shenzhen-Zhonshan Link bridge is reported as being the world's longest, two-way tube tunnel with four lanes for vehicles to travel in one direction and another four in the other.
The immersed tube tunnel spans '5,035 meters and consists of 32 tube sections and one final joint,' according to CGTN.
2. Widest underwater steel shell-concrete immersed tube tunnel
CGTN reports the steel shell-concrete tube tunnel which is immersed underwater features 'a standard tube section length of 165 meters, a width of 46 meters - 55.6 meters at its widest - and a height of 10.6 meters'.
The tunnel is said to feature 14 robots to ensure its safe operation, such as one detecting if a fire has broken out.
3. Highest navigation clearance for a sea bridge
If you were looking to pass a boat underneath the bridge anytime soon, then you should have no issues, with the Shenzhen-Zhonshan Link bridge reportedly having the highest navigation clearance for a bridge above the sea.
4. World's first underwater expressway interchange and airport interchange
The bridge has reduced travel time from the airport interchange and island from two hours to just 30 minutes, reports claim.
5. Widest repeatedly foldable M-shaped water stop used in the final joint of an immersed tube tunnel
The bridge also features the world's 'widest repeatedly foldable M-shaped water stop' found in the final joint of an immersed tube tunnel, the width measuring three meters.
6. World's highest wind resistance test speed for a suspension bridge
The bridge is reported as having a 'maximum flutter test wind speed of 83.7 meters per second'.
7. Largest single-volume cast for a steel-shell immersed tube using self-compacting concrete
The tunnel reportedly boasts a steel-shell immersed tube which uses 'self-compacting concrete' with 'a single tube section concrete volume reaching 29,000 cubic meters, totaling 910,000 cubic meters'.
8. Largest offshore suspension bridge anchor
The anchor's concrete volume is reported as measuring 'approximately 344,000 cubic meters'.
9. Largest span for a fully offshore steel box girder suspension bridge
The Shenzhen-Zhongshan has a span of 1,666 meters.
10. Largest steel bridge deck with hot-mix epoxy asphalt paving
The paving is claimed to cover an area of 378,800 square meters.
The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link is also said to have broken the record for highest bridge deck.
However, the new bridge's bridge deck measures a whopping 91 meters (299 feet) and according to other reports online, the Sidu River suspension bridge in Yesanguan Township measures 496 meters (1,627 ft) in deck height.
The bridge's other 'records' are yet to be confirmed.
UNILAD has contacted Guinness World Records for comment.
Topics: Travel, China, World News
Poppy Bilderbeck