HAIKOU, March 18 (Xinhua) -- The Haiwen Bridge opened to traffic Monday in the island province of Hainan as the first cross-sea bridge crossing active faults and the most earthquake-resistant bridge in China.

The 5.59-km bridge connects the Hainan capital Haikou and Puqian, an island town in the city of Wenchang which is also known as the hometown of many overseas Chinese.

The six-lane bridge, which cuts the travel time between Puqian and Haikou from 1.5 hours to just 20 minutes, is expected to promote the integration of coastal industries in northeast Hainan, said Lin Dong, head of the provincial department of transportation.

With a total investment of 3 billion yuan (about 447 million U.S. dollars), the bridge was under strict marine monitor throughout its construction.