Zemun-Borca Bridge shows friendship and professionalism

"China's bridge building technology is at an international advanced level. The Zemun-Borca Bridge, together with its connecting lines, is the first large-scale infrastructure construction project Chinese enterprises have undertaken in Europe," said Zou Zexi, deputy general manager of China Road and Bridge Corporation's (CRBC) office in Serbia.

The 1,499-meter Zemun-Borca Bridge opened to traffic in December 2014. The Serbian government planned to build the bridgeas early as 2007 but a lack of funding delayed the project.

The Export-Import Bank of China stepped in to offer concessional loans, and the CRBC took over the construction project, which started in the spring of 2011.

The bridge shortened the commuting time from about 1 hour to 10 minutes from two districts of Belgrade, which is divided into three parts by the Sava and Danube rivers.

CRBC trained a number of local technicians and managers in Serbia. During the project, the company employed 400 locals, about three times the number of Chinese workers on the construction site. The involvement of the Serbian employees is crucial for the smooth progressing of the project.

The winter of 2012 was the coldest in Europe in 30 years. The outdoor temperature on the bridge construction site is below minus 20°C. But the Chinese workers still worked on the frozen river to ensure the progress of the project. The staff of CRBC's Serbia office donated money to help the Serbian people affected by the flood in 2014.