Construction of a vital suspension bridge has begun in east China's Zhejiang province on May 23, 2017.

The Oujiangbeikou Bridge will be held up by 3 separate towers, and will span the Oujiang river in the city of Wenzhou.

Of the 3 bridge towers, the middle one is the anchor to the overall structure.

The China Railway Major Bridge Engineering Group, which is building the bridge, says the middle tower will have a displacement area of 9 basketball courts, and will reach as high as a 20 story building.

Once complete, the upper deck of the bridge will be able to accommodate 6 lanes of traffic, with three moving in either direction.

The lower deck will also be able to accommodate 6 lanes of vehicle traffic.

The project is said to be a key link along China's major north-south highway, namely the Shenyang-Haikou Expressway.

Container vessels will also be able to pass under the bridge.

The bridge is expected to be operational by 2021.