Construction has begun on a major bridge that will join Kinmen and Lieyu islands together, the Kinmen County government said Jan. 9.
The 5.4-kilometer Kinmen Bridge, set to be completed in June 2016 at a cost of NT$7.5 billion (US$258 million), will be twice as long as the famous Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
It will include four car lanes as well as paths on both sides for pedestrians and bicycles.
After the bridge becomes operational, it will only take five minutes to travel between Kinmen and Lieyu. The bridge will make life much easier for Lieyu residents, give them better access to health care, and spur tourism on both islands, officials said.
According to the county government, the main body of the bridge is composed of five extradosed bridges, with the largest span measuring 280 meters in length, a world record.
Kinmen Island, also known as Quemoy, is located 280 kilometers to the west of Taiwan. Lieyu, sometimes referred to as Little Kinmen, is a smaller island located to the west of Kinmen. The population of the two islands is about 90,000.
