Photos: Shi Jiamin/People's Daily

The main arch of the Xiangxi Yangtze River Bridge – the world’s longest steel truss thrust-type arch bridge – was connected on Tuesday, with the bridge expected to be operational by the end of 2019.

The bridge, which has a main span of 531.2 meters, is located in Zigui of Central China’s Hubei Province. The Yangtze River runs across Zigui county from west to east, separating it into two.

The separation forces local residents to rely on ferries to travel to the other part of the county, which also hampers the development of the local orange industry and tourism.

The bridge will be open to traffic by the end of 2019, according to Xu Xin, a senior official with the construction company.

By then, it will connect the Three Gorges, Shennongjia National Park and Wudang Mountains, making itself a driving force for tourism in Hubei Province.

(Compiled by Lu Wenao)