The Volcanic Coast along the Danzhou section of the Hainan Coastal Scenic Highway. [Photo: Chen Yuancai / Hainan Daily]

The Hainan Coastal Scenic Highway is China’s No.1 National Scenic Avenue. At present, the base section of the 988.2-kilometer-long main route has been completed, and is expected to fully open to traffic by the end of December this year. A total of 40 destination stations are set to open along the route, with 25 designated as natural landscape stations and another 15 as cultural resource stations.

Running along the coast for much of its length, the Hainan Coastal Scenic Highway crosses various bodies of water such as sea, rivers, and wetlands, with the 142 bridges that help the highway accomplish this now entering their final stages of construction. In anticipation, let’s take a look at the coastal life of Hainan from the perspective of these bridges.

Bridges that put local ecology first

The beautiful scenery in E’man along the Danzhou section of the Hainan Coastal Scenic Highway. [Photo: Liu Sunmou / Hainan Daily]

Located in Putoulan Village, Eman Town, Danzhou, the Putoulan Bridge is a dual-carriageway bridge with a total length of just 136 meters. It is already complete and open to traffic.

This section of the highway is close to a coastal wetland, surrounded by vast mangrove forests, and traffic used to traverse the wetland via a simple village road. However, this road greatly cut into the wetland, hindering the life and growth of animals and plants. In the end, the department in charge of planning the highway decided to put the ecology first, building a new flyover bridge to replace the old road and ensuring that the wetland wildlife can continue to thrive undisturbed.

Bridges that make life more convenient

The central span of the 1,357-meter-long Changhuajiang Bridge, which connects Changhua Town in Changjiang Li Autonomous County and Sanjia Town in Dongfang City, was recently put in place. Once the bridge opens to traffic at the end of this year, the commute between the two towns will be greatly reduced, from one hour to just five minutes. The bridge deck is held up by 34 piers, with the main bridge and approach piers in the form of single-column and double-column, vase-style piers incorporating Changjiang Kapok into the design. These greatly improve the aesthetics and stability.

Which is the longest bridge on the Hainan Coastal Scenic Highway? That accolade goes to the Zhubijiang Bridge, with a total length of 3,702 meters. Once the bridge is complete, travel between Nanluo Village in Changjiang to Yanding Village in Danzhou will be reduced from about 51 minutes to 5 minutes.

The Ganchenggang Bridge along the Dongfang section of the Hainan Coastal Scenic Highway is being built. [Photo: Pu Xiaoxu / Xinhua]

The Ganchenggang Bridge has been built across the estuary of the Gan’en River in Dongfang City, connecting Ruxue Village and Ganbei Village. “Now the bridge is open, getting across the river is a breeze,” said Yang Xian, a villager of Ganbei Village, who participated in the construction of the highway. This work not only bumped up his household income but also brought him satisfaction knowing that he had made a meaningful contribution to his hometown.

The Hainan Coastal Scenic Highway connects all of the island’s coastal cities and counties, with each of them boasting its own bridges, including 24 in Wenchang, 10 in Lingshui, and 20 in Ledong. Every single bridge is set to have a positive impact, not just on Hainan’s tourism market, but on the lives of the island’s residents whose lives the bridges have made much more convenient.

Bridges that take your breath away

The charming scenery of Shanqin Bay along the Wanning section of the Hainan Coastal Scenic Highway. [Photo: Li Tianping / Hainan Daily]

Located at the boundary between Longgun Town and Shan'gen Town, the Longgunhe Bridge is 206 meters long and is complete, save for a few finishing touches. The main bridge is a double-cable, cable-stayed bridge without backstays, designed in the shape of a surfing sailboat. Pedestrian walkways that span along the bridge will allow tourists to marvel at the view of the rushing Longgun River flowing into the sea.

The Longgunhe Bridge in Wanning is a cable-stay bridge without backstays. [Photo: Li Tianping / Hainan Daily]

“Heading north after crossing the Longgun River Bridge, you will pass over the Yuntiling and Zhengmenling Bridges, both of which hug cliffs overlooking Shanqin Bay, one of the most beautiful stretches of the Wanning section of the highway,” said Guo Hao, a tourist from Guangdong.

The Zhengmenling Bridge in Wanning. [Photo: Yuan Chen / Hainan Daily]

The Wanning section of the Hainan Coastal Scenic Highway is 96.5 kilometers long, with ten bridges along the highway, including three rest stops and three viewing platforms. The Wanning section takes in three kinds of scenery, including the coastal defense forests, countryside, and cliffs. Each offers different scenery, providing tourists with a diverse visual journey.