Workers pave the expressway on the Shanghai-Nantong Yangtze River Bridge on April 14. [Photo/ zjgonline.com.cn]

Asphalt pavement on the six-lane expressway of the Shanghai-Nantong Yangtze River Bridge, which links Zhangjiagang, Suzhou with Tongzhou district, Nantong, was completed on April 14.

The asphalt was independently developed by the construction team and can withstand temperatures between 22 degrees C below zero to 82 C.

“The main body of the bridge is made of steel, which requires the asphalt to have strong adhesion,” a spokesperson for the project explained. “The asphalt must not crack in winter nor deform in summer, and maintain strong friction.”

Previously, construction companies had to rely on imported materials to pave bridges on the Yangtze River, and the roads failed to withstand the temperature changes and heavy loads.

The materials used on the Shanghai-Nantong bridge fix these issues, and are also resistant to water, protecting the bridge from rust.

“Chinese technology and materials have made it easier to pave roads on long-span steel bridges worldwide,” a local official said.

The bridge is the world's largest road-rail cable-stayed bridge, with a length of more than 11 kilometers and a main span of 1,092 meters. It features a six-lane expressway on its upper deck and four railway tracks on its lower deck, and is expected to open to traffic later this year.