Hangzhou Bay Bridge, the longest cross-sea bridge of the world, will open to traffic on May 1st, 2008. The bridge will cut the length of road trip from Shanghai to Ningbo by 120 km, reducing the driving time from 4 hours to 2 hours.
Taking the opening of the bridge as a good opportunity, the Organizing Committee of China International Consumer Goods Fair will provide free shuttle buses for overseas visitors from Shanghai Pudong International Airport to Ningbo, prior to and during the fair, reducing their time en route considerably. Shuttle buses between Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport and Ningbo will also be available.
Furthermore, the opening of the bridge will provide more convenient traffic to those companies in the Yangtze River Delta who will attend the fair.
The construction of the Bridge, with a total investment of RMB 11.8 billion, commenced in November, 2003. It covers a total length of 36 km, with 2-way 6 lanes and driving speed of 100 km/h , linking Cixi city on the southern end and Haiyan County on the northern end. The bridge would boost economic integration and development greatly in the Yangtze River Delta, one of the most prosperous regions in China.
