Bridge is Chinese steel industry’s entry ticket

Illustration.E6 Hålogalandsbrua.Photo: Statens vegvesen

Norwegian bridge becomes the Chinese steel industry’s entry ticket to Europe

A Chinese steelworks has won the competition to deliver most of the metal for the Hålogalands bridge in Narvik, which will be completed next summer.

 

China’s largest bridge building group won the competition for the building of metal tiers and the installation of cables and clamps, while a Chinese steelworks has won the competition to deliver the steel, writes Klassekampen.

70 Chinese now work for the second year on the project and are in the majority at the building site. The company Sichuan Road and Bridge Group (SRBG) says the company’s strategy is to use the bridge as an entry ticket to the European market. SRBG will continue to bid on new assignments.

– This is the first major construction project China has in Europe. We are working well with the companies’ management as well as with the workers working here, says  the Building Manager for the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, Dagrun Kaasen.

The Roads Administration (Vegvesenet) is the responsible builder of the 1,540 meter long bridge.

In addition to the Chinese steel, the cable heads come from Turkey and parts of the cable fittings from Switzerland, while the concrete work, reinforcement and asphalt are supplied by Norwegian companies.

 

© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today