Construction site of Changhai Bridge. Photo provided by the Project Command Headquarters of Dalian Changhai Bridge Project

Yesterday, with the precise docking of the last section of the bridge deck structure, the steel platform of the main piers of the National Highway Changzhang Line (Dalian Changhai Bridge Project), led by China State Construction Engineering Corporation Limited and participated in by China Construction Sixth Engineering Division Co., Ltd., was successfully connected under the severe cold climate conditions. As the “lifeline” for the bridge construction, the successful connection of this platform not only marks a major breakthrough in the key control nodes of the project, but also opens up a crucial transportation channel for the subsequent construction of the main bridge, laying a solid foundation for the steady progress of the project.

According to the Project Command Headquarters of the National Highway Changzhang Line (Dalian Changhai Bridge Project) of China State Construction Engineering Corporation Limited that since the project started construction on June 25, 2025, the project team has continuously faced multiple tests brought by the complex sea conditions in the northern part of the Yellow Sea. After winter set in, the minimum temperature at the construction site dropped below -10 degrees Celsius. With the biting cold wind and rough waves, the construction conditions were extremely harsh. During the New Year's Day holiday in 2026, all the builders put aside their personal affairs for the sake of the project and resolutely stuck to the construction front line. They launched a race against time in the biting cold wind. Facing the harsh climate environment, the project team strictly implemented various winter construction safeguard measures. Through a combination of means such as optimizing the process connection, implementing shift work, and taking full-time heat preservation and anti-freezing measures for key work points, they successfully overcame the dual challenges brought by low-temperature freezing and sea waves, tackled difficulties with all their might, and effectively ensured the on-schedule progress of the key project nodes.

According to the report that the upper structure of the steel platform and the trestle uses a truss form, and the lower structure is equipped with steel pipe piles with a diameter of 820 mm, making the overall structure highly stable. In response to the challenges brought by the low-temperature climate to steel welding operations, the project team formulated a special winter construction plan to ensure that each weld meets the quality standards. During the construction period, they always adhered to the dual bottom lines of safety and quality, achieving the dual goals of zero accidents in personnel safety and zero defects in project quality.

As an important cross-sea passage connecting Dalian urban area and Changhai County, after the completion and opening to traffic of Changhai Bridge, it will completely end the history of the island relying on ship transportation. The connection of the steel platform trestle of the main piers not only fully opens up the working face for the subsequent construction processes such as the pile foundation, pile cap, and tower column of the main bridge, but also marks that the project has officially entered a new stage of accelerated construction of the main project.

According to the report that the construction of the Dalian Changhai Bridge Project is divided into four sections. Currently, the excavation of subgrade earthwork in Section 1 is progressing steadily. In Section 2, the main bridge and the east-west approach bridges are under simultaneous construction. In Section 3, the steel trestle is under intensive construction. In Section 4, the on-land and offshore pile foundation work is carried out in an orderly manner, and the expected construction goals have been basically achieved. In 2026, the Changhai Bridge Project will continue to increase resource input, optimize the construction process, strengthen safety and quality control, speed up the project construction, and ensure that the construction nodes are advanced as planned.