The new Nanping Bridge opened in advance of other Jinqin Express Road sections Sept 9 to untangle congested traffic on both banks of the Qianshan River caused by Xingye Express Road construction. 

The 1,544-m (1,689-yd) dual eight-lane structure extends from the Zaobei Interchange in Qianshan, passes over Jinji Road and the Qianshan River to Pingxi Road and continues along Nanwan Avenue to Zhuhai Avenue in Nanping.

New Nanping Bridge [Photo by Zhong Fan / Zhuhai Daily]

The bridge is designed for a speed of 60 kmph (37 mph), two-way non-motor-vehicle lanes and sidewalks with handrails shaped like Roman columns to echo the design of the Baishi and Qianshan bridges spanning the Qianshan waterway.

According to Liu Mingzhe, an engineer with the Zhuhai Highway Affairs Center, this month's installation of streetlamps allowed the bridge to open. Elevators will later be installed on North and South Qianhe roads to facilitate access. Currently, pipeline relocation work is under negotiation.

The bridge will be a key node of the north-south Jinqin Express Road, which runs 13.6 km (8 miles) from the Gangwan Avenue-Jinfeng Road intersection in Tangjiawan to Changsheng Interchange in Nanping across Zhuhai's downtown area.

Opened in 1987, the original dual two-lane Nanping Bridge was one of the first built over the Qianshan River. It was demolished in April 2018 after 30 years of service.