Abstract: For directional drilling projects crossing large rivers, protection of corrosion-proof coating of pipelines against mechanical damages during crossing is a great consideration in current design and construction. It may help to guarantee the project quality and operation safety, reduce towback resistance and enhance efficiency of the project. The Yangtze River Crossing Project of Jiangdu-Rudong Natural Gas Pipeline involves direction drilling crossing large rivers with longest pipelines of identical diameter in China. This project is characterized by heavy investment and high quality requirements. To protect the 3PE coating of the pipeline against abrasion, scratching, disengagement and rupture of joint sleeves by gravel bed during towing, and to reduce resistance during towback, epoxy fiber reinforced plastics (FRP) coating has been deployed to provide mechanical protection. On-site operators performed studies on process of epoxy FRP coating, which has been deployed extensively in the crossing project and achieved outstanding performances. Relevant researches may provide references for design and implementation of directional drilling projects crossing similar rivers.