RIO DE JANEIRO, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- A consortium of state-owned Chinese companies on Friday was awarded the contract to build and operate what will be the second-longest bridge in Brazil.

Under the project, a bridge will be built spanning the famed Bay of All Saints, which connects Salvador, capital of the northeastern Bahia state, with Itaparica Island. The project also involves the construction of related roads.

The Chinese consortium, comprising China Railway 20 Bureau Group Corporation (CR20) and China Communications Construction Company Ltd (CCCC), was awarded the contract following a bid held in Sao Paulo.

Bahia governor Rui Costa hailed the project and the result of the bidding held in Sao Paulo, saying via Instagram that "in partnership with the Chinese consortium, we will carry out the biggest infrastructure project in Brazil in recent years."

The bridge, with an investment of 2.2 billion U.S. dollars and a 35-year franchise, is set to boost the development in the south of Bahia, as it cuts the distance between Salvador and Itaparica Island from 452 km to 309 km.

When completed, the 12.4-km-long bridge, measuring 400 meters across and with a central elevation of 85 meters to allow ships to cross underneath, will be Brazil's second longest, after the Rio-Niteroi bridge.