World's Longest Bridge Opens In China, Again

3 May 2008 - 11:00am

A new 22-mile bridge -- which breaks the previous record of 20.2 miles set by another Chinese bridge -- will provide a faster road connection between the Chinese cities of Shanghai and Ningbo.

"The world's longest sea bridge was formally opened yesterday linking Shanghai to the industrial city of Ningbo across Hangzhou Bay in China.

The 22-mile bridge will reduce the driving distance between the eastern side of Shanghai and the port town of Ningbo by 75 miles."

"Sun Ningwei, vice-president of the Xinhai Electric Company, based in Cixi, Ningbo, said of the new bridge: "I think it will be easier for our company to recruit high-calibre employees, who always prefer working in small cities like Cixi but living in big cities like Shanghai. They can leave Shanghai for Cixi in the morning and go back in the afternoon. It's only 1.5 hours' drive," she said.

The 20.2-mile Donghai Bridge had been the previous longest sea-crossing structure, linking Shanghai to the Yangshan deep water port."

Source: The Guardian, May 2, 2008
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The salient historical question is, of course, what made some cities fail while others succeeded?