Ballastless track construction of Anhai Bay bridge of cross-sea Fuzhou-Xiamen high-speed railway, first of its kind in China, was completed on Thursday in Quanzhou City, southeast China's Fujian Province.

The 277.42-kilometer-long Fuzhou-Xiamen railway will become part of the national high-speed network.

The line, which crosses Meizhou Bay, Quanzhou Bay and Anhai Bay, will begin operating in 2023, by which time the provincial cities of Fuzhou and Xiamen would have been in a "one-hour living circle." 

Challenging cross-sea project

Complex conditions on the sea made it very challenging to maintain the stability of the track on a long cross-sea bridge. Constructors applied aerodynamic measures to reduce wind-induced vibration.

As it enters the hottest season of the year, staff worked through nights into the early morning since high temperatures affect measurement accuracy.

Some fixtures were put together beforehand to ensure construction quality.

Xing Tianming, chief of Fuzhou-Xiamen High-Speed Railway Anhai Bay Cross-Sea Bridge Project, told China Media Group (CMG), "Before starting the construction of the ballastless track, we collected the data of the main bridge and kept monitoring and measuring it. 

"We also simulated the load by using water bags, and started the construction plan only after experts approving its feasibility. Up to now, Anhai Bay Bridge has applied for 11 patents."

Rai laying will start soon as the ballastless tracks of all three cross-sea bridges on Fuzhou-Xiamen high-speed railway have been completed, Xing added.