The structure of a long aqueduct was completed as part of a mega water diversion project on Thursday in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, local authorities said.

Weighing 21,000 tonnes, the steel aqueduct sits above a canal with a span of 110 meters, which architects said is the longest span of similar structures in the world.

Designed as "a river above a river," the aqueduct will supply water for some 13 million people of Hefei and Lu'an cities in Anhui and also function as a two-way shipping channel, said Yang Shanhong, one of the chief designers of the aqueduct.

It was completed nearly two months ahead of schedule, despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and floods in the summer, said Zhang Jianjin, chief engineer of the project.

The water diversion project, at 723 km long, will take water from the Yangtze River to the Huaihe River to supply 15 cities along the canal upon completion. The main construction is scheduled to be completed by 2022. Enditem