China-Maldives Friendship Bridge Opens to Traffic on August 30, 2018

The China-Maldives Friendship Bridge opened to traffic on August 30, 2018. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]

China-Maldives Friendship Bridge opens to traffic on August 30, 2018

China-Maldives Friendship Bridge, the first modern bridge in Maldives, opened to traffic on August 30, 2018.

With that opening, Maldives, a country with more than 1,200 coral islands, had its first sea-crossing bridge.

Constructed by China Communications Construction Company Limited, the two-kilometer-long bridge stretches across the Gaadhoo Strait and is expected to be usable for one hundred years.

The construction of the bridge complies with Chinese standards and regulations and is supported by Chinese technology and management. It also combines the culture and architectural style of both countries.

A series of key technological difficulties were solved during the construction.

It was also the first time a super-large bridge was built in a coral reef geological environment in the middle of the ocean, which sets an example for future similar constructions.

The first power generation units of Jinping-I Hydropower Station at the world's highest dam are put into operation on August 30, 2013

The first power generation units of the Jinping-I Hydropower Station went into operation at the world's highest dam on August 30, 2013.

Invested and constructed by State Development & Investment Corp., Ltd. and Sichuan Provincial Investment Group Co., Ltd., the station has a gross installed capacity of 3.6 million kW and can generate 16.62 billion kWh annually.

Located on the Yalong River, the station has a 305-meter-high concrete double-curvature arch dam which is the highest in the world.

The hydropower project is also considered to be "the most difficult in techniques and management and the most dangerous in its construction environment".  

The completion of the station required successful solutions specific to the highest dam in the world and the technology needed for massive construction on a steep slope.

It is an iconic achievement of China's grand western development program and a significant step in the West-to-East Electricity Transmission Project.

(Executive editor: Hao Wen)