A heavy-duty drone successfully delivered a pilot rope across the Pearl River on June 30, signaling a key breakthrough for the Shiziyang Channel (狮子洋通道), the Guangdong Transportation Group announced. The project has now officially advanced into the superstructure construction phase for its cross-river section.
The Shiziyang Channel is about 35 kilometers long, connecting Guangzhou's Nansha District with the towns of Humen and Shatian in Dongguan. It is the world's first double-deck suspension bridge with a main span of over 2,000 meters and 16 lanes on both decks. As the newest mega-project in Guangdong following the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, it has set five distinct world records for double-deck suspension design.
At 2:20 p.m. on June 30, the specialized drone took off from the top of the Channel's west tower, flying for seven minutes across a span of over two kilometers before landing safely on the east tower. The successful crossing of the pilot rope has laid the essential foundation for building the "catwalk"—a temporary aerial work platform—and the subsequent installation of the bridge's main suspension cables.
The operation also marks the first time a heavy-duty drone has been used to pull a pilot rope across the Pearl River estuary. It represents an innovative fusion of "low-altitude smart manufacturing" and infrastructure mega-projects.
Author | Dong Han
Photo | Nanfang Plus
