The 40-kilometer bridge will connect Shanghai, Hangzhou and Ningbo, three economically strong cities in east China. It will take only two hours to commute between any two of the three cities using the bridge.

It is estimated that within 20 years once the bridge is put into use, the social benefit generated from lower transportation costs and less traffic accidents will exceed 44 billion yuan (US$5.3 billion), 2.2 billion yuan (US$265 million) annually on average.

Experts say that the bridge would also promote the development of two excellent deep-water harbors, the Ningbo Harbor and Zhoushan Harbor, and benefit the whole Yangtze River delta area.

Construction of the six-lane 40-kilometer bridge will last five years, beginning in 2002.

(Xinhua)