Nansha Bridge is 12.89 km long and goes across the west and east side of the Pearl River, linking Guangzhou and Dongguan. [Photo by Wang Danyang/ycwb.com]

The Nansha Bridge, the first innovative mega-project to begin service after the launch of the outline development plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, ushered in the one year anniversary of its official operation on April 2.

The bridge is 12.89 kilometers in length and goes across the west and east side of the Pearl River, linking Guangzhou and Dongguan. The construction of the bridge marked the first trial in the world of building two extra-large span suspension bridges that are over 1,000 km at the same time.

Located in the economic hub of the Pearl River Delta, the bridge has linked cities like Guangzhou, Foshan, Dongguan, and Shenzhen through their traffic networks, making full use of the overall location advantage of the Greater Bay Area.

The distance between south Guangzhou and Dongguan has been shortened by 10 km due to the Nansha Bridge, which has greatly relieved the traffic pressure of other channels crossing the Pearl River. The traffic flow of Nansha Bridge during the National Day holiday accounted for 44 percent of the total flow crossing the river.

Nansha Bridge is the first super-large bridge in China that has been fully covered by a 5G network, allowing the monitoring center of the bridge to use a smart online platform to give out correct orders.

In addition, unmanned aerial vehicles will be used during major holidays to deal with traffic jams on the bridge.

It is expected that Nansha Bridge will keep offering convenience for people's transportation and boost the economic development of the Greater Bay Area.