On the 28th of May, we visited the Hangzhou Bay Bridge.  We crossed half way over before turning around and driving back.

Sretching 36 kilometers over the Hangzhou Bay, the Hangzhou Bay Bridge is a marvel of Chinese engineering.  The bridge, which reduces travel time between Shanghai and Ningbo by 2 hours, cost approximately  $1.42 billion to build.

In its construction, several pressing issues faced engineers charged with construction.  Issues included shallow natural gas deposits beneath the surface, corrosion of the steel rebar reinforcement without special nonporous concrete, typhoons blowing about the bridge and during construction, massive waves, and many other issues which plagued the Chinese engineers. Each of these issues were successfully solved using advanced construction methods, some of which had never before been used.

Today, the completed bridge includes a five star hotel midspan, which also serves as the headquarters for maintenance and service of the bridge.  For the price of 80 yuan, drivers can cross the 22 mile long bridge, significantly reducing their travel time between several cities on either sides of the bay.

Along the river, several large windmills can be seen from the bridge.