Sutong Bridge

The Sutong Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge that spans the Yangtze River in People's Republic of China between Nantong and Changshu, a satellite city of Suzhou, in Jiangsu province. With a span of 1,088 metres (3,570 ft), it is the cable-stayed bridge with the longest main span in the world. Its two side spans are 300 metres (984 ft) each, and there are also four small cable spans.

Sutong Bridge

Crosses                                Yangtze River

Locale                                  Nantong / Changshu, Jiangsu,  People's Republic of China

Design                                 Cable-stayed bridge

Total length                         8,206 m (26,923 ft)

Height                                 306 m (1,004 ft)

Longest span                       1,088 m (3,570 ft)

Clearance below                   62 m (203 ft)

Opening date                       May 25, 2008

Two towers of the bridge are 306 metres (1,004 ft) high and thus second tallest in the world. Construction began in June 2003, and the bridge was linked up in June 2007. The bridge was opened to traffic on 25 May 2008 and was officially opened on 30 June 2008.

The completion of the bridge makes the commute between Shanghai and Nantong, originally completed through ferry route, shorten to about an hour. It brings Nantong one step closer to becoming an important part of the Yangtze River Delta economic zone, and has further attracted foreign investors into the city. The bridge is also pivotal in the development of poorer northern Jiangsu regions.