The main part of the Beijiang Grand Bridge, a critical control project of the Qingxin-Huadu Expressway in Guangdong province, is successfully joined on Wednesday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The main section of the Beijiang Grand Bridge, a critical project of the Qingxin-Huadu Expressway in Guangdong province, was successfully joined on Wednesday, laying a solid foundation for its opening by the end of the year.

After the joining, the magnificent bridge, spanning the Beijiang River, began to reveal its imposing form, with four cable towers shaped like phoenix tail feathers.

Construction on the 1,440-meter bridge began in October 2022. The project has faced an uphill battle against complex geological conditions, according to Zhou Wei, director of the Qingxin-Huadu Expressway management office.

"The bridge site is characterized by extremely well-developed karst formations," said Zhou, adding that the construction must pass through multiple caves. "Any slight misstep could lead to a cave-in or flooding."

The main part of the Beijiang Grand Bridge, a critical control project of the Qingxin-Huadu Expressway in Guangdong province, is successfully joined on Wednesday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

As all four main towers of the bridge are located in the water and are nearly 150 meters tall, it is extremely difficult to control the alignment. The towers are affected by strong winds, floods, and ships.

"It's more like embroidering in mid-air at a height of 100 meters," said Zhou.

The expressway starts in Qingxin district of Qingyuan, in northern Guangdong, and ends in Tanbu township of Huadu district of Guangzhou, the provincial capital.

With a length of approximately 54 kilometers, the expressway will become another major transportation artery between northern Guangdong and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.