Twins over the water: new Jinma Bridge rises beside the old — 1,936 metres, a 132 metre tower and 70% completion by 2027

Two bridges, 17 metres apart, 23.75 metres wide, the project over 70% complete. The new crossing over the river will double the capacity of the Guangzhou–Zhaoqing expressway, connecting three major cities.

As reported by CCTV+, the Jinma Bridge, part of the Guangzhou–Zhaoqing expressway reconstruction and expansion project in Guangdong Province, southern China, successfully achieved its final closure on Monday. The bridge is 1,936.6 metres long, with a deck width of 23.75 metres and a main tower height of 132.35 metres.

Its appearance essentially replicates that of the existing Jinma Bridge, which remains in operation. The new bridge runs parallel to the existing one, with a separation of approximately 17 metres.

The Guangzhou–Zhaoqing expressway reconstruction and expansion project is a major transport infrastructure initiative in the province. With the closure of the new Jinma Bridge, overall project progress has exceeded 70 percent. The project is scheduled to be completed and open to traffic by the end of 2027. Upon completion, the bridge will greatly enhance traffic capacity between cities such as Guangzhou, Foshan and Zhaoqing.

Building parallel bridges is a rare engineering solution that allows traffic to continue uninterrupted during construction.

The old Jinma Bridge remains in service while its exact replica rises beside it. 1,936 metres in length, a 132 metre tower, 17 metres of separation — and 70% of the overall project complete. The Guangzhou–Zhaoqing expressway is one of the key arteries of the Pearl River Delta, connecting the province's economic centres. Doubling capacity on this section will ease congestion and speed up freight flows.

When a new bridge rises beside the old, like a reflection in the water, time seems to pause. One crossing continues to serve, while the other prepares to take its place — so that together they can carry twice the traffic, twice the goods, twice the destinies. 1,936 metres have become a symbol of how China builds the future without stopping the present.

The builders do not halt traffic — they double it. And when cars speed across the new bridge in two years, no one will remember how many tonnes of concrete, steel and sweat it took for the twins to stand side by side. But the road will remember.