The construction of a bridge linking Xiamen Island and Xiang'an district begins on July 24. [Photo/xmnn.cn]

A bridge linking Xiamen Island and Xiang'an district in Xiamen, Fujian province began construction on July 24. It is expected to be completed in 2022, local media reported.

The bridge will be about 12.37 kilometers long, with 4.8 kilometers to be constructed above the sea. When completed, it will be much easier for locals to travel between Xiamen Island and Xiang'an, as there is currently only a single tunnel linking the two areas.

A rendering of the completed bridge. [Photo/xmnn.cn]

Official data show that about 521,300 vehicles came and left from Xiamen Island per day in 2016, with an average annual growth of about 16 percent from 2000 to 2016.

Considering Xiamen's new airport in Xiang'an, which will open in the near future, without the new bridge, the traffic volume of Xiang'an tunnel would reach about 111,000 vehicles per day by 2022 and 146,000 vehicles per day by 2030, making the bridge crucial, according to Zhang Jianbin, manager of the construction company working on the bridge.

"The design is similar to the pre-fabrication process of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, which is a very advanced bridge construction technology, a bit like building blocks," said Zhang.

The bridge will improve Xiamen's urban road network and is expected to boost the integrated development of the city's society and economy.