The construction site. [Photo provided to Zhongshan Daily]

After 10 hours of continuous construction, the first giant steel boxed cofferdam of the east cable tower of Lingdingyang Bridge - a sea-crossing suspension bridge with the world's largest span - of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Channel was successfully put in place on July 4, thereby laying a solid foundation for the construction of the bearing platform to be completed by late 2019.

This giant steel boxed cofferdam covers 14.5 meters in height, 41.2 meters in outer diameter and 2.5 meters in wall thickness. It weighs about 1,800 tons, which is heavier than 7 A380 Airbuses in total. Only a small part of the steel boxed cofferdam will be above the water surface once the Lingdingyang Bridge is completed.

It is reported that a total of 4 steel boxed cofferdams have to be placed under the bearing platform of the bridge by late 2019.

Fan Chuanbin, Deputy Director of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Channel Management Center, said that the length of the main hole of the Lingdingyang Bridge covers 1,666 meters, its main tower covers 270 meters in height and the deck up to 90 meters in height, which is equivalent to the height of 30 floors. It will be the highest sea bridge in the world upon completion.

Lingdingyang Bridge has two cable towers. The pile foundation of the east tower was completed in the first half of 2019.