On September 9, the Changtai Bridge over the Yangtze River in Jiangsu Province, China, opened to traffic. It is the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world and the first to integrate highway, local road and intercity railroad in a single structure.
With its 10-kilometer length and a main span of 1,208 meters, the project shortens the journey time between Changzhou and Taixing from 80 minutes to just 20 minutes.
Structural records of the new cable-stayed bridge
During six years of work, the consortium led by China Communications Construction implemented unprecedented advances. These include the world’s largest capacity intelligent tower crane, designed for loads in excess of 10,000 ton-meters, and the world’s largest deck crane, which can place steel segments with millimeter precision.
The highest recorded velocity was also achieved in the sinking of drawers in silty clay.
The viaduct set multiple world records: the longest span on a cable-stayed bridge, the largest steel truss arch combined with road and rail, and the longest continuity in latticed steel girders.
Its 350-meter towers, equivalent to a 120-story building, were built in steel and concrete. concrete to withstand the strong currents of the Yangtze.
The new link not only shortens distances, but also boosts the economic integration of the Yangtze Delta. The reduction in travel times is in addition to the implementation of trans-river public transport services, which strengthens regional connectivity and supports the development of the river’s economic belt.
Source and photo: China Communications Construction
