Flood-destroyed ancient bridge to reopen in E China

HEFEI  -- A 480-year-old bridge destroyed by floods in East China's Anhui province will reopen soon after over a month of repair, local authorities said.

The repair work, which started on Nov 13, has been completed and passed quality inspection on Tuesday.

The Zhenhai Bridge, built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), was a state-level cultural relics protection site in the city of Huangshan.

Floodwaters destroyed the bridge during a heavy rainstorm on July 7.

Salvage operations started on Aug 12 and lasted for 19 days. Over 4,500 cubic meters of material from the wrecked structure were retrieved, paving the way for repair work.

The 131-meter bridge with seven arches was initially constructed in 1536 and was repaired several times in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) after being damaged by flooding.