At around 4 a.m. on May 1st, as the morning mist still lingered over the coastal areas of East China, the first light was already on at the precast beam yard of Section 1 of the Ningbo-Taizhou-Wenzhou Expressway Expansion Project's Ningbo Southern Section, managed by Zhejiang Transportation Group. Frontline builder Liu Yongfei put on his work clothes and safety helmet, heading towards the all-too-familiar template area. A red gantry crane, standing over ten meters tall, stood silently—in another two hours, his wife, Zhou Jiajia, would ascend into its small operator's cab to begin another day of work at height. This International Labor Day marks the second holiday the couple has spent working side-by-side on the project, and also their tenth year working together.
The Ningbo-Taizhou-Wenzhou Expressway Expansion Project's Ningbo Southern Section, where Liu Yongfei and Zhou Jiajia work, is a vital component of the G15 Shenyang-Haikou Expressway and a major construction project in Zhejiang Province. The route spans approximately 69 kilometers with a total investment of about 19 billion yuan, starting from Xiwu in Fenghua and ending at Ma'angling Tunnel in Ninghai. The entire section is being expanded to a dual eight-lane expressway standard. As a main traffic artery connecting Ningbo, Taizhou, and Wenzhou, the expansion project carries the significant responsibility of promoting rapid regional economic development and enhancing the efficiency of the expressway network. Upon completion, the project will effectively alleviate traffic congestion on the Ningbo section of the expressway, providing a strong boost to the logistics capacity of ports along the eastern Zhejiang coast and the development of the Zhejiang Marine Economy Demonstration Zone.
The year 2026 is considered the 'critical year' for the project's construction. As of the end of April, the cumulative annual investment had reached 1.701 billion yuan. On-site, more than 5,000 builders are hard at work, with Liu Yongfei and Zhou Jiajia being one such 'couple team.' 'She is the only female gantry crane operator in the beam yard and has never made a mistake,' Liu Yongfei said, his voice full of pride when speaking about his wife.
It is reported that Zhou Jiajia completes the 'aerial transport' of 10 beam segments per day, with her cumulative lifting count exceeding 2,700 segments. Calculating at 120 tons per segment, the total weight she has hoisted surpasses 320,000 tons. These beam segments are continuously transported to the construction front, allowing the Yinfeng Viaduct to extend further day by day. On the ground, Liu Yongfei meticulously polishes the templates day after day, ensuring each beam segment is more aesthetically pleasing and smoother, capable of withstanding the most rigorous inspections. The couple works in perfect sync—one 'setting the beams' in the air, the other 'forging the bones' on the ground—earning them the reputation as 'pioneers in their posts' at the beam yard.
During the upcoming National Day holiday, they plan to bring their children, who live far away in their hometown in Henan, to the project site to see where their parents work. 'They know we are building roads and bridges, but they've always been curious about how it's actually done,' Zhou Jiajia said with a smile, adding that the children would surely be excited to see the large beam segments.
The Yinfeng Viaduct, with a total length of about 6 kilometers, requires 1,859 medium box girder segments. Each segment, from rebar tying and template polishing to concrete pouring and gantry crane transport, embodies the sweat and dedication of countless builders. They may not be heroes in the spotlight, but they shine in their ordinary posts, interpreting the responsibility and commitment of frontline builders through their actions. There are no grand declarations, only the daily grind of polishing and hoisting. Countless builders like Liu Yongfei and Zhou Jiajia channel their longing for family and their sense of familial duty into every precise operation and every smooth polish, honoring the holiday through their steadfastness and paving the way for the era through their hard work.
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