On the 13th, the reporter learned from the Ningbo Maritime Safety Administration that as an important cross-river passage connecting the two urban sub-centers of Yaojiang New City and Gaoqiao, the main bridge of Xihong Bridge reached a new construction milestone on the 13th——officially entering the Yuyao River waterway for construction.

It is understood that Xihong Bridge is a single-tower double-deck steel truss cable-stayed bridge. The main bridge consists of two parts: a steel truss girder and a steel main tower. The steel truss girder adopts the technique of erecting temporary supports in the water. During the entire construction period, the Yuyao River waterway needs to be temporarily diverted three times.

Xihong Bridge construction site.

“Nearly 150 vessels pass through the construction water area in the Yuyao River every day. During construction, the navigable water area will narrow, and with multiple temporary channel diversions, it will greatly affect navigating vessels. Passing vessels must pay attention.” said the responsible person from the Navigation Management Office of the Ningbo Maritime Safety Administration.

The responsible person told the reporter that the current stage is construction in the waters north of the channel. The channel width will change from the current 90 meters to 60 meters, with two-way navigation, lasting about 2 months; the second stage is construction in the middle of the channel, changing from a 60-meter two-way navigable channel to one-way navigable channels 30 meters wide on each of the north and south sides, lasting about 2 months; the third stage is construction on the south side of the channel, with the north side of the construction area becoming two one-way navigable channels each 30 meters wide.

To ensure navigation safety during construction, the maritime department has previously convened construction units, shipping companies, vessel representatives, etc., to carry out phased construction navigation safety assessments, helping relevant vessels familiarize themselves with the channel navigation conditions during construction in advance. During this period, the maritime department will also set up corresponding navigation aids and anti-collision facilities according to different construction stages to ensure vessel navigation and construction safety.

It is reported that Xihong Bridge is a node project of Guangyuan Expressway crossing the Yuyao River, with a total length of 336 meters. The bridge is divided into two levels: the upper level is an urban expressway with eight lanes in both directions, designed at a speed of 80 km/h; the lower level is an urban arterial road with six lanes in both directions plus pedestrian and non-motorized lanes, designed at a speed of 50 km/h. It is planned to be open to traffic in June 2022. After completion, the bridge will be of great significance in supporting the overall urban planning layout, improving Ningbo's expressway network pattern, and promoting the coordinated development of various regions.