May 02, 2008	Friday	Rabi-us-Sani 25, 1429

SHANGHAI, May 1: China opened the world’s longest cross-sea bridge on Thursday, linking the financial hub of Shanghai to the booming port city of Ningbo, the official Xinhua news agency said.

A ceremony in the middle of the 36km cable-stayed structure, which spans Hangzhou Bay in Zhejiang province south of Shanghai, marked the official opening before several hundred spectators, Xinhua said.

The $1.7 billion span will open to traffic on a trial basis at midnight, shortening travel time between Shanghai and Ningbo, to two-and-a-half hours from four.

Trucks, overloaded vehicles and vehicles carrying dangerous chemicals will be barred from the bridge during the trial period, Xinhua said.

“We haven’t decided how long the trial operation period will last. That depends ... on the bridge condition, and we need time to improve management about its operation,” it quoted Jin Jianming, deputy chief commander of the bridge construction project, as saying.—Reuters