Three out of four segments of the Honghe Bridge came back under construction on Feb 19 in order to open the span in time for the 13th China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition (Airshow China) in November.

Segment II at Hengqin Mangzhou Wetland Park, for instance, saw 80 back at work along with those who stayed in Zhuhai during Spring Festival. Except for 20 Hubei natives, they had returned on chartered buses.

As precautions, the project team has on hand many masks, hand sanitizers, disinfectants, medicinal alcohol, and gloves, while construction sites and stationed areas are disinfected.

Migrant workers are isolated for observation upon arrival. Each has a file including personal information, whereabouts over the previous month, temperature recorded twice daily, and records of anti-epidemic supplies received, according to Zhang Zheng of the project's General Office.

Main tower piers of Honghe Bridge [Photo by Zhong Fan / Zhuhai Daily]

Work on the segment at main tower Piers 4 to 8 is directed by China Zhongtie Major Bridge Engineering Group.

In general, more than 80 percent of project investment has gone to the four bridge segments. Notably, construction of the fourth is 95 percent complete. More resources will be poured into bringing the project back on schedule, said Lin Quanfu, general manager of Honghe Bridge Co.

Costing 4 billion yuan ($570 million), the 9.65-km (6-mile) Honghe Bridge spans the Hongwan and Modaomen waterways. It starts at the Hongwan Interchange in Nanping Town, accesses the link line of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, and then runs westward.

Designed with two-way six-lane expressway standards, the structure, upon completion, will join the Xianghai and Jinhai bridges as a pivotal connection between Zhuhai's East and West wings and ease traffic pressure on Zhuhai Avenue.