A love that builds bridges

Construction pair finds romance can overcome the greatest challenges, Li Yingxue and Yang Jun report in Guiyang.

A key bridge, part of Guiyang-Jinsha-Gulin expressway, will be load tested in March and provided all goes well will shortly afterward open to traffic.

The Jinfeng Wujiang River Bridge in Guizhou province saw its construction phase end in July. It presented a challenging task to engineers as it spans the Wujiang River, a place plagued by strong gusts for at least 100 days a year.

Two years ago, the location was an empty valley with no electricity or public utilities. Li Zhao, 42, chief engineer of the fourth branch of Guizhou Road and Bridge Group and his wife, Qin Guifang, also Li's colleague, successively led 1,200 construction workers to overcome the difficulties and build the bridge.

The couple in the past nearly two decades have participated in and witnessed the incredible change in the transportation network in Guizhou, which has helped residents enjoy better lives.

"When I was studying in college, it took me 16 hours by train to travel from Guiyang to Changsha. The experience made me firmly believe that I must bring my professional knowledge back to Guizhou," Li says.