A bridge too far? China unveils world's longest sea bridge

China has unveiled the world’s longest sea bridge, which stretches a massive 26.4 miles.

The Qingdao Haiwan Bridge, completed in Jan 2011, links the main urban area of Qingdao city, East China’s Shandong province, with Huangdao district, straddling the Jiaozhou Bay sea areas.

The road bridge, which took four years and cost a cool $7.8 billion to build, and is almost three miles longer than the previous record-holder, the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway in Louisiana.

That structure features two bridges running side by side and is 23.87 miles (38.42km) long.

The three-way Qingdao Haiwan Bridge is a staggering 174 times longer than London’s Tower Bridge, over the Thames River – and shaves 19 miles off the drive from Qingdao to Huangdao.

Two separate groups of workers have been building the different ends of the structure since 2006.

This is amazing civil engineering work. Just WOW

Alvarado Water Treatment Plant

Expansion of the water treatment plant in San Diego began in 2008. The project is expected to take 20 years and will be completed in five phases. The new facility will have a daily filtration capacity of 800,000 m³, approximately double the current size. The upgraded facility is expected to meet the needs of San Diego’s growing population through at least 2030 and the facility has an expected lifetime of 75 years.

The Alvarado plant is one of three that serve San Diego residents. The first phase was to enhance chemical treatment facilities and pumping systems at a cost of $65 million. Phase 2 includes installation of the plant’s flocculation and sedimentation basins and an upgrade of the electrical and control systems of the plant’s eight original filters. Phase 3 increases plant capacity from 150 MGD to 200 MGD (million gallons a day).

The remaining phases will add major ozone treatment facilities, including ozone generators. The fifth and final phase will involve shoreline landscaping, storm water management facilities, and backup pumps and generators.