A major viaduct project connecting downtown Harbin city to Harbin Taiping International Airport starts construction on July 15. [Photo/MY399.COM]

A viaduct project connecting downtown Harbin city – capital of China’s northernmost Heilongjiang province – to Harbin Taiping International Airport kicked off construction on July 15, according to a report in the Harbin Daily.

Local officials said the viaduct is the first phase of the Yingbin Road viaduct project.

The 20.44-kilometer-long viaduct starts at the intersection of the Airport Expressway and Yunlianghe and ends at Tianping Road, they said.

Officials said it has received a total investment of 9.1 billion yuan and is scheduled to complete construction in two years, with Harbin Urban Investment Group as the main contractor.

The entire Yingbin Road viaduct will be 35.2 km long and comprises the old airport expressway and Yichun Road. It starts at Xuefu Road and will be laid along Yichun Road, Minzhu Avenue and the old airport expressway.

Officials said the Yingbin Road viaduct is the largest and most extensive road and bridge construction project in Harbin's history.

They said after the project is completed and opened to traffic, it will closely link Harbin Taiping International Airport with the central city area – optimizing and improving the transportation infrastructure and facilitating quick and convenient travel.