Expats who went on a cruise tour of the newly opened Shenzhong (Shenzhen-Zhongshan) Link yesterday were amazed by the breathtaking nighttime view of the record-breaking cross-sea infrastructure project.
The three-hour cruise set sail from the Shekou Cruise Home Port at dusk and glided past the bustling Chiwan Port en route to the Shenzhong Bridge in the west, treating passengers onboard to a spectacular view of the monumental bridge as it was silhouetted by the setting sun.
"The bridge is something that the world should see," said Jorge Ambrozio Lunior, from Brazil, who found the experience to be beyond words. The Brazilian businessman also expressed profound admiration for project.
Marilaine Garcia de Mattos, who was accompanied on the tour by her husband Lunior, was captivated when the cruise passed underneath the illuminated Shenzhong Bridge at around 8 p.m. Garcia de Mattos wondered how such a colossal construction was build in the sea, and said that she would like to drive through the link's underwater tunnel with her husband in the future.
Construction of the Shenzhong Link -- one of the world's most challenging cross-sea transportation projects, which is comprised of an underwater tunnel, two artificial islands, and two bridges -- began in December 2016 and took seven years to complete.
"It's very brave to undertake this project," said Tafadzwa Mackenzie Kadere, who has an engineering background. Kadere said that he really appreciated this project from an engineering perspective, citing the underwater tunnel as an example of how challenging it had been.
Kadere said that the logistical responsibilities of the tunnel were highly demanding as they involved laying and aligning cables underwater, which was an incredibly challenging task. "People may not realize how much work, calculations, and engineering efforts were required for this operation."
Nihad Cheraga from Algeria expressed her amazement at seeing the Shenzhong Bridge in person for the first time. She called the suspension bridge, which is much longer than Istanbul’s Bosphorus Bridge, one of the longest suspension bridges in Europe, a testament to the advanced level of civil engineering in China. "They've raised the bar so high that it seems to me there is no place in other countries to compare with," said the business development manager of Times High Tech park in Guangming District.
Cheraga said that she would definitely embark on more cruising tours after this incredible experience.
