2007年的6月13日，這是中國(guó)建橋史上值得大書特書的日子。晚上杭州灣大橋最后一塊鋼箱梁將安裝完畢，水面上矗立的那座嚴(yán)絲合縫的大橋，便活脫脫成了一條神采飛舞的巨龍，一條現(xiàn)實(shí)的神龍！

一

2007年春天，對(duì)杭州灣大橋的每一個(gè)建設(shè)者來(lái)說(shuō)，是一個(gè)不尋常的春天。自從指揮部提出在今年6月提前合龍目標(biāo)后，大橋的建設(shè)者們就個(gè)個(gè)鉚足了勁，指揮部門口豎起了醒目的倒計(jì)時(shí)牌。

隨著時(shí)光飛快地流逝，好消息不斷傳來(lái)：

5月26日，北引橋最后2米合龍段完成混凝土澆筑，杭州灣跨海大橋I合同主體工程完成，它意味著全橋混凝土箱梁全面完工，大橋北大門成功打通；

6月11日，隨著架梁機(jī)將南航道橋主跨NZH1號(hào)梁緩緩地提升到設(shè)計(jì)標(biāo)高，世界第一跨海大橋主通航孔之一的南航道橋全線貫通；

到了6月13日，只剩北航道橋了。這最后一塊箱梁，必須在晚上12時(shí)左右擱上，為什么？因?yàn)樗亲詈笠粔K，考慮到熱脹冷縮的原理，設(shè)計(jì)規(guī)定必須在氣溫低于20°C時(shí)才能施工?！暗谝弧迸c“最后”總是特別引人注目，總指揮王勇來(lái)了，有許多事情要他拍板。今天他穿著一件淺藍(lán)色的短袖襯衣，顯得神清氣爽，一路上一邊與大家說(shuō)說(shuō)笑笑，一邊不斷地發(fā)著短信向幾位領(lǐng)導(dǎo)報(bào)告大橋今天即將合龍的好消息。

第一個(gè)短信是發(fā)給寧波市委書記巴音朝魯?shù)?，書記的回音馬上來(lái)了：這是一個(gè)令人振奮的時(shí)刻，謹(jǐn)向廣大建設(shè)者表示慰問(wèn)并致以崇高的敬意；第二個(gè)信息是發(fā)給寧波市毛光烈市長(zhǎng)的，市長(zhǎng)的回答也很快：今天天氣不夠好，注意安全。祝順利成功！第三個(gè)短信發(fā)給交通部曾來(lái)大橋掛職副總指揮張寶勝的，王勇知道他雖離開大橋回到了北京，但一直惦記著大橋。果然，張寶勝的回音很快飛進(jìn)了他的手機(jī)：衷心祝賀！預(yù)祝順利!大橋第一根樁照片已成為經(jīng)典，期待您的合龍照片也能讓我們珍藏！萬(wàn)事如意！

總指揮的船快到北航道橋了，遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)地，船上的人都看到了那塊意義不凡的鋼箱梁：它是這座大橋最小的一塊，只有3米寬?，F(xiàn)在，它已經(jīng)被幾條粗壯的鋼索從兩端吊著，端端正正地懸掛在海面上，離它最后安身的地方只有幾公尺距離。

氣墊船特意從它近旁緩緩駛過(guò)，所有的人都沖出去對(duì)它拍照，前后左右，左右前后，歷史決定了它必須載入史冊(cè)，它將在最后一刻完成這一偉大的使命。

二

海鹽國(guó)際大酒店今天氣氛顯得神秘而又熱烈。大橋指揮部的有關(guān)人員都來(lái)了，浙江省海事局的幾位領(lǐng)導(dǎo)也趕來(lái)了，這幾年來(lái)，他們一直為大橋建設(shè)的安全保駕護(hù)航，在關(guān)鍵時(shí)刻，他們嚴(yán)陣以待。

今天的合龍并不大張旗鼓，這是總指揮王勇的行事風(fēng)格，就像當(dāng)年大橋打第一根樁一樣。大橋打第一根樁公開宣布的日期是2003年11月15日，其實(shí)，他在11月14日晚上已經(jīng)與工程隊(duì)一起將它夯入了海中。現(xiàn)在，合龍的儀式定在6月26日，但是真正的合龍工作必須在今天完成。用方夏平風(fēng)趣的話說(shuō)，今天是領(lǐng)結(jié)婚證書，6月26日是辦喜酒。

天下著雨，溫度在迅速下降，很快達(dá)到了技術(shù)指數(shù)的要求，合龍可以提前進(jìn)行了！晚上8點(diǎn)，大家興奮地上了車直奔北航道橋。晚上8點(diǎn)40分，雨還下著，而且越來(lái)越大。下車時(shí)每人發(fā)了一件雨衣、一把特大號(hào)雨傘，然后再加上一頂紅色的頭盔與一件黃色的救生衣，頓時(shí)，綠色的、黃色的、白色的、紅色的……雨中的北道航橋成了繽紛的世界，全副武裝起來(lái)的人們都認(rèn)不出是誰(shuí)來(lái)。

此刻，那塊鋼箱梁就在人們的眼皮底下靜靜地躺著，它離它的目的地只有幾米的距離了。在大家的說(shuō)笑聲中，鋼纜牽引機(jī)發(fā)動(dòng)起來(lái)了，粗大的鋼纜牽著那塊鋼箱梁開始迅速上升。幾個(gè)工人沿著橋面兩邊拉著的安全繩來(lái)回巡視，不時(shí)笑瞇瞇地請(qǐng)心急的人們往后退。

幾個(gè)寧波電視臺(tái)的記者則拿著話筒穿梭在大雨中。他們是唯一允許到現(xiàn)場(chǎng)來(lái)的新聞單位?！澳愫谩?！漂亮的女主持將話筒伸到我們身邊的副總指揮呂忠達(dá)面前：“呂指揮，你今天笑得這么燦爛，為什么？”

為什么？呂忠達(dá)笑得更燦爛了：“開心呀！你想想，我們辛苦了3年多不就為了今天嗎？”是呀，3年7個(gè)月前，也是這樣的夜晚，大橋建設(shè)者們?cè)谶@茫茫大海中打下了第一樁，今天，大橋居然能合龍了！

在這個(gè)熱烈的場(chǎng)面中，最安靜的大概要算這個(gè)項(xiàng)目經(jīng)理徐愛(ài)敏了。他長(zhǎng)得很瘦小，戴著一副眼鏡，平時(shí)沉默寡言。但是就是他這個(gè)瘦小的肩頭壓著天大的重任，南航道橋北航道橋工程都由他分管著。去年年底是工程最艱難的時(shí)候，他幾乎夜夜失眼，夜夜睡不安。每天一大早就跑步到工地檢查所有工程的方方面面。

“現(xiàn)在，你睡得著了吧？”我們笑著打趣他。“對(duì)對(duì)！”他帶著點(diǎn)不好意思的表情朝我們點(diǎn)頭笑著。他悄無(wú)聲息地站在大雨中看著熱烈的人群，沒(méi)有人注意他，他也不希望人家注意，他是大橋建設(shè)中無(wú)數(shù)名英雄中的一個(gè)；廣東長(zhǎng)大的毛經(jīng)理顯然是全場(chǎng)最忙碌的人了，他全神貫注地指揮著，因?yàn)檫@絕對(duì)是個(gè)細(xì)致活兒，如果兩邊安裝得不均衡，那么鋼箱梁就會(huì)像麻花一樣扭結(jié)起來(lái)，如果發(fā)生紐結(jié)，鋼箱梁就報(bào)廢了。

雨，還在嘩嘩嘩地下著，海面的風(fēng)越來(lái)越大，站在無(wú)遮無(wú)攔的平臺(tái)上，每個(gè)人的衣服都濕透了，鞋子里也都灌滿了水，但是很奇怪，沒(méi)有人感到冷，甚至沒(méi)有人感到天在下雨，人人都像過(guò)大年一樣興奮，目光始終沒(méi)有離開過(guò)那塊“小不點(diǎn)兒”，它正在慢條斯理地按順序上升著。

它與大橋快齊平了！大家歡呼著往前移，維護(hù)安全的工人趕忙將安全繩繃得緊緊的。有頑皮者急不可耐想伸出腳搶先踏上合龍的橋面，馬上有人阻止，因?yàn)檫@可不是玩的，偌大箱梁夾你沒(méi)商量。

大家目不轉(zhuǎn)睛緊緊地盯著那塊箱梁，它上來(lái)了！它移到大橋平面了！它達(dá)到設(shè)計(jì)的標(biāo)高了！它與大橋兩邊齊平了！

大橋勝利合龍！時(shí)間是9點(diǎn)58分！

大雨中，橋面上鞭炮齊鳴，禮花繽紛，歡聲雷動(dòng)。

人們歡呼著從大橋兩邊撲向中央，涌到了剛合龍的中間的那塊箱梁上，不管認(rèn)識(shí)的不認(rèn)識(shí)的，不管身上水淋淋的，大家緊緊地?fù)肀г谝黄穑l(shuí)也分不清誰(shuí)，只有紅色的頭盔標(biāo)志著我們都是大橋的建設(shè)者。咔嚓咔嚓，無(wú)數(shù)的閃光燈記錄下這歷史的瞬間。

總指揮王勇被激情的人群里三層外三層緊緊地?fù)碓谥虚g，他揮動(dòng)著手臂高呼著，所有在場(chǎng)的人都激動(dòng)地高呼著！無(wú)數(shù)條手臂在頭頂揮動(dòng)著，揮動(dòng)著，揮成了一片奔騰起伏的海洋?？傊笓]的臉上濕漉漉的，每個(gè)人的臉上都是濕漉漉，分不清臉上流著的是淚水還是雨水。

杭州灣天塹被勇敢的人跨越了。幾百年的夢(mèng)想終于實(shí)現(xiàn)了。一個(gè)新的世紀(jì)到來(lái)了！

（本文兩作者為深入大橋建設(shè)工地生活的夫妻作家）

The Bridge Spans Hangzhou Bay

Xia Zhen， Wang Yi

June 13， 2007 was a memorable day in the history of China’s bridge building.Since the first pile went down into the bedrock depth of Hangzhou Bay on November 15， 2003， the two sections of the bridge had been growing from both shores across the bay to meet each other despite disastrous weather and treacherous geological hazards.

The day when the two sections were to meet loomed quite near and clear in the spring of 2007. The head office of the bridge project calculated the building progress and decided that the south and north sections were to link up in the upcoming June， way ahead of schedule. The countdown clock at the gate of the head office reminded the approaching of the red-letter day.

On May 26， cement came pouring into the last two meters of the northern channel bridge. On June 11， the southern channel bridge had the last box girder in its main span. On June 13， the northern channel bridge would mount the last box girder.

The last move was scheduled for the midnight of June 13th. The box girder must be moved in when the temperature was below 20 Celsius degree to allow ample leeway for the metal that expands with heat and contract with cold.

Wang Yong， CEO of the bridge program， dressed in a blue short-sleeved shirt， sent short messages through his mobile phone to local mayors and ministerial leaders involved with the project. Replies soon came back: congratulations， best wishes， and concerns.

Wang Yong and his colleagues took a boat trip to inspect the link-up spot from the bay. When the ship approached， everyone saw the box girder hanging in the air， ready to be lifted into place. Camera lights flashed.

When the final moment ticked closer， the attendees gathered at the Haiyan International Hotel on the northern bank of the bay， agog to go to the spot to witness the historical moment. When the news came in at 8 o’olock in the evening that the temperature was dropping fast amid rain， they knew the historical moment was approaching rapidly.

As the weather conditions satisfied the technical requirement for the final link-up of the 36-kilometer bridge， all the eyewitnesses drove to the bridge. At 8:40， they arrived. As required， everyone put on a red helmet， an orange life jacket， and a raincoat. And everyone was given a large umbrella.

The rain poured. The wind scowled. The box girder was actually only several meters down from its final destination. As the cable crane came into operation， the box girder inched upward. Workers patrolled the safety belts on either side to prevent enthusiastic witnesses from entering the operating area too soon.

Ningbo Television Station was the only news media allowed to cover the historical event.The reporters fired simple and rapid questions to project managers， asking how they felt at the moment. Lu Zhongda， the deputy CEO of the project， grinned brightly and replied that he was very happy and that he and his colleagues had worked more than three years only for this moment. Xu Aimin， the project manager in charge of the construction work of the bridge sections on both sides， said shyly that he expected to sleep well that night. He was known to have lost sleep frequently toward the end of 2006 when the construction work experienced various problems.

Mao， the site manager of Guangdong Province Changda Company which was the bay-bridge contractor， was the calmest person on the spot. He was giving orders to the mounting of the box girder. The installation must be accurate or the steel girder could be distorted and become useless.

The wind scowled. The rain persisted. Everyone on the platform was drenched. But they did not pay any attention to the coldness. They were raptly watching the girder coming up inch by inch.

The moment the girder finally came into place， the crowd rushed upon the girder from both sides.People shouted， hugged， laughed， cried， and waved their arms. Cameras flashed furiously. Fireworks exploded and soared into the night sky. It was 9:58 at night.

From that moment on， the Hangzhou Bay was no longer a heaven-made gap that separated the south and north. The dream of bridging the bay had finally come true. A new era began at the night of June 13， 2007.

(Translated by David)