The construction of a new road-rail bridge over the Yangtze River, China's longest river, began on Tuesday in east China's Anhui Province.

The 11.88-kilometer bridge in the city of Tongling will have a six-lane expressway with designed speeds of 100 kilometers per hour on its upper deck, and four railway tracks on its lower deck.

Two of the tracks will be reserved for passenger trains with designed speeds of 250 kilometers per hour, and the other two will accommodate freight trains.

"The bridge, with a major span of 988 meters, is designed with a cable-stayed and suspension structure, with functional requirements and economic factors taken into account," said Qiu Feng from the China Railway Major Bridge Reconnaissance & Design Institute Co., Ltd., which is in charge of the design of the bridge.

Compared to single-structure bridges, cable-stayed and suspension bridges have longer spans and are safer, allowing the smoother passage of high-speed trains.

Construction is expected to be completed in 2025.