Hand it to the Chinese as they not only have the second biggest economy in the world but also two of the longest cross-sea bridges in the planet with the Thursday unveiling of the country's 41-kilometre Qingdao Jiaozhou Bay Bridge.

According to the China Daily, construction of the $2.3 billion bridge commenced on May 2007 and the bridge's opening to traffic this week will connect Qingdao to Huangdao, allowing travelers access to both district in mere 20 minutes.

The Chinese publication said that building the record-breaking bridge was part of China's efforts to push the area as a hub for international shipping in the Northeast Asia region.

The new China landmark effectively eclipsed the 36-kilometre stretch of Hangzhou Bay Cross-sea Bridge as the longest in the world and fulfilled "a long-time dream for Qingdao residents," city officials said.

Authorities said the new bridge, which was completed in record four years, will pave the way for more dynamic economic activities in the Shandong Peninsula.

Prior to its actual construction, authorities took almost two decades to complete the preparatory process as the biggest challenge posed by the undertaking, according to an expert who worked on the project, was "to cope with the high salt content and winter ice in the seas of Jiaozhou Bay, which otherwise would damage the structure of the bridge."

Officials are optimistic that the new cross-bridge will facilitate for the further improvement of the region's economy, which has posted a per capita gross domestic product of $25,000 last year.

Jiaozhou Bay Bridge's opening also coincided with authorities' decision on Thursday to allow the flow of traffic on the more than 9-kilometre underground tunnel that links Qingdao to Huangdao.

District officials said that the unveiling of new infrastructures in the area give commuters more options in going around the economic zone, which should expedite growth in the months and years ahead.