BEIJING: The Renhuai-Zunyi Expressway opened to traffic last Thursday in Zunyi, Guizhou province.
The 1,427-meter Dafaqu Grand Bridge is a large-span concrete-filled steel tube arch bridge. As a key project of the expressway, the bridge closes the distance between Zunyi and Renhuai.
It was praised as an engineering marvel created by Guizhou construction engineers. Huang Dafa, 88, witnessed the construction of the Dafaqu Bridge at his door. The July 1 Medal recipient announced the opening of the expressway. It was a big day for crowds of Tuanjie village, as crowds thronged the ceremony and set off firecrackers in celebration. Decades ago, Tuanjie village had a water shortage. High, steep mountains resulted in uneven terrain and barren soil. The hostile natural environment forced people to mainly rely on rain to water their crops.
For 36 years, Huang Dafa dedicated himself to building and maintaining a canal. With the irrigation channel, people from Tuanjie village and neighboring villages finally had sufficient drinking water and could irrigate rice and other crops. The channel was named the Dafa Canal in Huang’s honor.
To add to the magnificent feat of building the Dafa Canal, thet local government decided to construct the Dafaqu Grand Bridge. Based on modern skills technology, the bridge was completed within two years. It opened in July.
The Renhuai-Zunyi Expressway, a 52.4-kilometer highway with six-lanes, was built by Guizhou Highway Development Co with an investment of 12.8 billion yuan ($1.84 billion).
–The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchage item
