The Changtai Yangtze River Bridge will officially open for operation in the coming days, closely connecting Changzhou and Taizhou cities. The Changtai Yangtze River Bridge is a key project under the "Yangtze River Economic Belt Comprehensive Three-Dimensional Transportation Corridor Plan (2014-2020)" and the "Yangtze River Mainstream Cross-River Passage Layout Plan (2020-2035)".

As the first cross-river passage on the Yangtze River integrating expressways, intercity railways, and ordinary roads, the Changtai Yangtze River Bridge features a two-level design. The upper level accommodates an expressway with a design speed of 100 kilometers per hour, while the lower level houses an intercity railway with speeds of 200 kilometers per hour and ordinary roads with speeds of 80 kilometers per hour.

After opening, travel time between Changzhou and Taizhou will be reduced from the current 1 hour and 20 minutes to just over 20 minutes.

**Analysis**: The 400-kilometer Yangtze River traverses Jiangsu Province, serving as both a golden belt connecting riverside cities horizontally and historically acting as a barrier between north and south. In the central Yangtze River City Cluster, Changzhou and Taizhou face each other across the river.

Before the Changtai Yangtze River Bridge construction, transportation between Changzhou and Taizhou mainly relied on the upstream Taizhou Bridge and downstream Jiangyin Bridge. However, with approximately 60 kilometers between the two bridges, they struggled to meet growing cross-river traffic demands, resulting in long detours and low transportation efficiency.

With the bridge opening, Changzhou and Taizhou will enter a "30-minute commuting circle," significantly reducing the spatial-temporal distance between the two cities.

Transportation serves as the "main artery" of economic and social development. Due to historical and multiple other factors, the Yangtze River City Cluster has formed an obvious "fat at both ends, thin in the middle" phenomenon. Years ago, local voices called for accelerating Changzhou-Taizhou integration to achieve "central axis rise."

With the Changtai Yangtze River Bridge opening imminent, both cities have actively initiated cross-river integrated development. In February this year, Changzhou High-tech Zone and Taixing City held a cross-river integration symposium, with multiple departments and bridgehead sectors conducting in-depth exchanges on strengthening top-level planning design during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period.

Local plans envision leveraging both regions' strong foundations in new energy and biopharmaceutical industries, with the bridge becoming a golden link for factor circulation, promoting efficient aggregation of talent, technology, capital, and information resources for complementary advantages and strong alliances.

Additionally, the Yantai-Taixi-Changyi Railway running through central Jiangsu began construction late last year, creating future opportunities for deeper collaboration across broader regions including Changzhou, Taizhou, and central and southern Jiangsu.

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