Hangzhou Bay Cross-Sea Railway Bridge Reaches World Milestone with North Channel Bridge Closure
The Hangzhou Bay Cross-Sea Railway Bridge, a massive piece of infrastructure connecting Jiaxing and Ningbo, has reached a crucial construction phase, completing its Northern Navigation Channel Bridge.
The Hangzhou Bay Cross-Sea Railway Bridge achieved a significant milestone on October 20, 2026, following the completion of its Northern Navigation Channel Bridge The Hangzhou Bay Cross-Sea Railway Bridge reached a major construction milestone on October 20, 2026 when it closed its Northern Navigation Channel Bridge. This completion follows a massive, complex construction effort aimed at building the world’s longest cross-sea railway bridge, serving as a vital link in China’s expansive high-speed network.
This monumental project, which operates as a key component of the Nantong-Ningbo high-speed railway, is engineered to support trains traveling at speeds up to 350 km/h Hangzhou Bay cross-sea rail bridge nears completion — China Daily. The northern section specifically features a 450-meter main span, which is currently the longest for a high-speed railway bridge utilizing ballastless track in construction globally Hangzhou Bay cross-sea rail bridge nears completion — China Daily. The bridge connects the cities of Jiaxing and Ningbo, a function that was approved by the National Development and Reform Commission back in November 2022 World’s longest and highest sea railway bridge project in China completes major milestone — New Civil Engineer.
The scope of the entire project, Hangzhou Bay Bridge, is estimated at a cost of approximately £2 billion (17.8 billion yuan) World’s longest and highest sea railway bridge project in China completes major milestone — New Civil Engineer. The entire structure, which spans approximately 29km to 29.2km World’s longest and highest sea railway bridge project in China completes major milestone — New Civil Engineer, has seen overall construction progress exceed 90% Hangzhou Bay cross-sea rail bridge nears completion — China Daily. The project is slated to be ready for operation by the end of 2027 World’s longest and highest sea railway bridge project in China completes major milestone — New Civil Engineer.
While the northern navigation channel was the most recent hurdle, construction on the rest of the sea crossing remains in steady progress. The south channel bridge was closed on October 17, and the closure of the central channel bridge is anticipated by late November Hangzhou Bay cross-sea rail bridge nears completion — China Daily.
This latest milestone underscores the massive effort required to integrate a high-capacity rail line over the open water, ensuring that the new bridge becomes a critical component of the country’s developing high-speed railway network.
The closure of the northern segment marks a final, major step toward completing this ambitious piece of Chinese infrastructure.