WUHAN, July 18 -- Zhixi Yangtze River Bridge, which stretches over China's longest river, opened for traffic Monday in Yichang City.

The 838-meter suspension bridge is the second of its kind in the world to be made with composite steel concrete beams without a supporting pier.

The 2.8 billion yuan-(418 million U.S. dollars) project, which has six two-way lanes, is the sixth Yangtze River bridge in Yichang, central China's Hubei Province.

Feng Yi, chief engineer with the construction firm, the China Railway Major Bridge Engineering Group Co. Ltd., said the bridge was built with new patented materials and technology. The pierless design ensures convenience for river navigation and water passage so that the migration patterns of rare aquatic species, such as Chinese sturgeon, are not effected.

The Yangtze links China's wealthy coast and its vast inland.

The bridge is expected to ease the city's traffic. Yichang currently has four other bridges over the Yangtze either in the planning or construction stage.