WUHAN - Construction began on a new freeway bridge above the Yangtze River on Monday in central China's Hubei province.

The new bridge will strengthen the province's transport links with southeastern coastal regions.

The 2,216-meter-long bridge is the eighth that crosses the Yangtze in Yichang city, home to the Three Gorges hydropower project. Construction will take four years with an estimated investment of 3.38 billion yuan ($507 million).

The bridge has linkage extension lines on both sides with a total length of 13.46 km. The two-way bridge is designed to have six lanes and will allow speeds of 100 km per hour.

It is a key project for the freeway linking Yichang to Zhangjiajie city in neighboring Hunan province, said an official with the Yichang Transport Bureau.

The bridge will contribute to creation of a high-speed route between the middle reaches of the Yangtze and the Pearl River Delta, the country's southern industrial hub, and Beibu Gulf areas, the official added.