The world's first bridge with a span of more than 1,000 meters and serving both cars and trains began operations on Wednesday in Nantong, Jiangsu province. It is expected to greatly promote the integration of the Yangtze River Delta and bolster the economy of one of China's most developed regions, the country's top transport authorities said.

The Shanghai-Suzhou-Nantong Yangtze River Bridge stretches 11,072 meters, with a single span of 1,092 meters It took six years and four months to build between Nantong and Zhangjiagang, a county-level city of Suzhou.

Wang Feng, deputy chief engineer of China Railway Corp, said that many new technologies were used in the cable-stayed bridge, including an advanced anti-collision system and cables with the highest tensile strength in the world.

"The anti-collision system can warn river traffic within 3 kilometers if a ship appears likely to strike a bridge pier," he said.

Each of the bridge's 432 cables can lift up to 1,000 tons, roughly the weight of more than 600 cars. A total of 480,000 tons of steel were used for the bridge.

As the second dual-use bridge in Jiangsu, following the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge, the newly opened structure will greatly ease traffic congestion that currently occurs on two neighboring Yangtze River bridges in Nantong and Wuxi. Travel time between Nantong and Wuxi will be cut in half to 40 minutes.

With a designed speed of 200 kilometers per hour, the new bridge will also cut travel time between Nantong and China's economic hub, Shanghai, from 3.5 hours to just 1 hour and 6 minutes.

From Nantong, the railway enters Shanghai through Zhangjiagang, Changshu and Taicang in Jiangsu's Suzhou city.