The Xiamen section of the Xiamen-Jinmen Bridge in Fujian province was joined early on Tuesday morning. (Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn)

The Xiamen section of the Xiamen-Jinmen Bridge in Fujian province was joined on Tuesday morning, ahead of a scheduled year-end opening.

Builders hoisted the final 3,318-metric-ton steel box girder into place using a 5,500-ton floating crane, before fine-tuning its alignment with synchronized hydraulic jacks.

The newly linked span is the final segment of the 14.2-kilometer offshore mainline. Crews are now paving the deck, installing electromechanical components, and working on traffic safety.

The Xiamen section of the Xiamen-Jinmen Bridge in Fujian province was joined early on Tuesday morning. (Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn)

Totaling 19.6 kilometers, the Xiamen section integrates the offshore bridge, branch links, and onshore tunnels. Its cross-sea main route features a dual eight-lane highway designed for speeds up to 100 km per hour.

Once open, the bridge will slash travel time between Xiamen Island and Dadeng Island — home to the new Xiamen Xiang'an International Airport, also set to begin operations by year-end.

Designed as a direct cross-Strait transport corridor linking Xiamen and Jinmen, the full bridge project is planned to extend from Xiamen Island via Dadeng Island to Jinmen Island to strengthen cross-Strait connectivity.