More than 40 experts and scholars from both sides of the Chinese mainland and Taiwan were present on Oct 13, 2019
Hold special seminars in Fuzhou
Suggestions on the construction of the Taiwan strait passage are put forward
China’s Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao bridge chief designer thinks
Taiwan strait passage should consider both road transport needs
Also, consider the demand for rail transport
The public railway passage can be constructed in different ways
We also can solve the engineering challenges of this super sea crossing
The Taiwan strait passage has been proposed more than ten years ago
But because of technical difficulties and cross-straits relations, construction has yet to begin
In terms of the difficulty of bridge construction, the Taiwan strait passage is far more than the hong kong-Zhuhai-Macao bridge
Because they’re so far apart
The Taiwan Strait is the strait between Taiwan and the coast of Fujian
Belong to the east China sea area, south China sea of Nantong
It is northwest and southeast, with a total length of about 370 kilometers
The north mouth is about 200 kilometers wide and the south mouth is about 410 kilometers wide
The narrowest point is between Taiwan’s Baisha headland, and Fujian’s Haitan island
The distance is about 130 kilometers and the total area is about 80,000 square kilometers
From this point of view, Baisha cape and Fujian Haitan island between
It is the most suitable place to build the passageway
And there are more than 130 kilometers of Bridges in China
The bridge from Danyang to Kunshan is 164 kilometers long
And experts have long proposed a design for crossing the Taiwan Strait
Like the hong kong-Zhuhai-Macao bridge, it combines the bridge with a tunnel
Not only that, but experts also put forward three cross-sea schemes
The north line, the middle line, and the south line
Each of the three routes has its advantages and disadvantages
Today we’ll see which is the easiest to implement
First, the northern route is about 122 kilometers long, which is the shortest one at present
From Fuqing, through Pingtan island to Hsinchu, Taiwan
This route is also the preferred route most recognized by experts
The cross-sea section is about 100 kilometers
The water here is between 50 and 60 meters deep, and the rock is hard
Very suitable for building cross-sea Bridges
The northern route will cost around 200 billion yuan and take 10 years to complete
Second, the median line program is about 128 kilometers in length
From Putian Wat-Shi, after Nanri island, Taiwan Miao millet
Or from Quanzhou Hui-An Chong-Wu to Taichung Changhua
The route is blocked by mountains in Taiwan and there is no super typhoon all year round
The weather conditions are good, and there have been no earthquakes of more than magnitude 7 in history
But generally there are 5-6 strong earthquakes, and the frequency of earthquakes is slightly higher
The water here is about 40 to 70 meters deep
Third, the southern route is about 174 km long
It’s the longest of the three routes
From Xiamen, through Kinmen, Penghu, and finally to Chiayi, Taiwan
Of the three routes, the southern route is the most difficult to construct
There are not only high-frequency earthquakes but also water depths of 80-100 meters
It will bring some difficulties to bridge pier erection
So north middle two route future
It is one of the most likely routes to build a cross-sea corridor
Since the experts all think the northern route is good, why continue to study it
The Taiwan strait is not as easy as you think
Politics and technology aside
The passage of the Taiwan strait still has several problems to solve
The first is maritime transport
If the northern route is adopted, the water here is relatively shallow
Moreover, the submarine rock is stable and can be constructed through a cross-sea bridge
But to allow for shipping, the bridge must not be too low
Low ships can not pass, and only small freighters through
Ships of over 30 tons have to make detours, which can cause shipping costs to soar
In addition to shipping, there are also financial considerations
The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge is 55 kilometers long and has a total investment of 126.9 billion yuan
And the 122-kilometer Taiwan strait passage is not expected to descend without 300 billion
The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge is jointly funded by the mainland and Hong Kong
Where does the money come from?
Can the economy generated by the completion of the bridge fill the huge investment?
This is a question we must consider
Besides, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge is based on the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao greater bay area
It can drive trillions of yuan of economic growth
To sum up, the construction of the Taiwan strait passage does more harm than good economically
But for the Chinese, it has to be built
We have dreamed more than once
When can I take a bus from the mainland to Taiwan?
Even inland lines have been built
At the end of 2015, the Beijing-Fuzhou high-speed railway was opened
By the end of this year, the Fuzhou - Pingtan expressway will be completed
It is currently awaiting the construction of a high-speed Taiwan strait corridor linking the mainland and Taiwan
It can reach Taiwan within an hour
And form 1 hour economic circle between two places
Thus driving Taiwan’s economic development