Bridges and tunnels across the Yangtze River
The bridges and tunnels across the Yangtze River carry rail and road traffic across China's longest and largest river and form a vital part of the country's transportation infrastructure. The river bisects China proper from west to east, and every major north-south bound highway and railway must cross the Yangtze. Large urban centers along the river such as Chongqing, Wuhan, and Nanjing also have urban mass transit rail lines crossing the Yangtze.
Pontoon bridges have been used by militaries for two thousand years on the Yangtze, but until the completion of the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge in 1957, there were no permanent bridges along the main stretch of the river known as Chang Jiang (the "Long River"), from Yibin to the river mouth in Shanghai, a distance of 2,884 km (1,792 mi). Since then, over 75 bridges and six tunnels have been built over this stretch, the overwhelming majority since 1990. They reflect a broad array of bridge designs and, in many cases, represent significant achievements in modern bridge engineering. Several rank among the world's longest suspension, cable-stayed, arch bridges, truss and box girder bridges as well as some of the highest and tallest bridges.
Upriver from Yibin, bridge spans are more common along the Jinsha and Tongtian sections where the Yangtze is much narrower, although numerous new bridges are being added. The oldest bridge still in use is the Jinlong, a simple suspension bridge over the Jinsha section of the river in Lijiang, Yunnan that was originally built in 1880 and rebuilt in the 1936.[1]
Section names of the Yangtze
Due to changes in the designation of the source of the Yangtze, various sections of the river have been thought of as distinct rivers with different names. The bridges and tunnels of the Yangtze have compound names consisting of the location name and the river section name. Today, the river has four sectional names in (in Chinese) : (1) Tuotuo, (2) Tongtian, (3) Jinsha and (4) Chang Jiang.
- The Tuotuo River, considered the official headstream of the Yangtze, flows 358 km (222 mi) from the glaciers of the Gelaindong massif in the Tanggula Mountains of southwestern Qinghai to the confluence with the Dangqu River to form the Tongtian River.
- The Tongtian continues for 813 km (505 mi) to the confluence with the Batang River at Yushu in south central Qinghai.
- The Jinsha or Gold Sands River continues for 2,308 km (1,434 mi) along the border of western Sichuan with Qinghai, Tibet, and Yunnan, through northern Yunnan and southern Sichuan to the confluence with the Min River at Yibin in south central Sichuan.
- Chang Jiang or the "Long River" refers to the final 2,884 km (1,792 mi) of the Yangtze from Yibin through southeastern Sichuan, Chongqing, western Hubei, northern Hunan, eastern Hubei, northern Jiangxi, Anhui and Jiangsu to the river's mouth in Shanghai. Chang Jiang is generally substituted by "Yangtze" in English usage.
For example, the Nanjing Chang Jiang Bridge is translated as the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge. The Taku Jinsha River Bridge is a bridge along the Jinsha section of the Yangtze.
History
The Yangtze River forms a major geographic barrier dividing northern and southern China. For millennia, travelers crossed the Yangtze by ferry. In the first half of the 20th century, rail passengers from Beijing to Guangzhou and Shanghai had to disembark, respectively, at Hanyang and Pukou, and cross the river by steam ferry before resuming journeys by train.
Bridges in antiquity
Pontoon bridges
The earliest recorded pontoon bridge over the Yangtze was the Jiangguan Pontoon Bridge built in AD 35 by Gongsun Shu, the ruler of Sichuan, in the war with the Han Emperor Liu Xiu.[2][3] Gongsun Shu built the pontoon across a narrow part of the river between Jingmen and Yichang in (modern Hubei Province) to block the Han Emperor's navy from sailing upriver into Sichuan.[3] The pontoon was burned in battle and Liu Xiu went on to capture Sichuan.[3]
In 570, the Northern Zhou general Chen Teng built a crude suspension bridge across the Xiling Gorge using thick rope and reeds to carry food and provisions for his troops on the south bank. The bridge was cut apart by boats lined with sharp knives sent down river by the Chen general Zhang Shaoda.[4]
During the Tang Dynasty, a pontoon bridge was built in Sangouzhen in the Qutang Gorge in 619.[2][4]
In 974, during the Song Emperor Zhao Kuangyin's conquest of the Southern Tang, a pontoon over 1,000 meters long linked together by bamboo chains was erected in just three days at Caishiji (Ma'anshan, Anhui Province) and enabled the Song Army to advance swiftly across the river and capture Nanjing, the Southern Tang capital.[2][3]
The Taiping rebels made extensive use of pontoons on the Yangtze in their campaign against the Qing Dynasty in the Yangtze Basin.[3] In December 30, 1852, they built two pontoons nearly 3,000 meters long in a fortnight's time at Baishazhou and Yingwuzhou in Wuhan to move troops from Hanyang on the north bank to the Wuchang on the south bank.[3] The Taipings tied together small boats into twos and threes and steered these preassembled pieces simultaneously into the river, and used iron anchors to set the pontoons instead of chains. They added leather-covered walls to the bridges and added towers and firing positions.[3]
Pontoon bridges have not been a feasible long-term solution to cross river transport because they block boat traffic on the Yangtze, a major conduit for travelers and cargo between the coast and the Chinese interior.
Iron chain bridges
Dating back to 3rd century, militaries of antiquity have stretched iron chains across the Yangtze in the Three Gorges to block invading armies. Notable examples include the iron chain defense of the Wu Kingdom in the Xiling Gorge against the Jin Dynasty in 280, the Former Shu's chain across Kuimen in the Qutang Gorge against the Jingnan in 925, and Song general Xu Zongwu's seven-link chain at the same location against the Mongols in 1264.[4]
The first documented iron chain bridge across the river was built in the 7th century by the Tibetan Empire over the Jinsha. The Shenchuan Iron Bridge, a simple suspension bridge, stood at what is today Tacun of Weixi Lisu Autonomous County in the Dêqên Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of northwestern Yunnan Province, and was probably built to help the Tibetan military advance against the Kingdom of Nanzhao during its invasions between 682 and 704.[6] The Tibetans stationed a frontier command office in the town called the Shenchuan Iron Bridge jiedushi.[6] The bridge facilitated trade between the two countries until 794 when the Nanzhao realigned with the Tang Dynasty and destroyed the bridge in a war with the Tibetan Empire.[6][7]
The oldest bridge still in use on the Yangtze is the Jinlong Bridge in Lijiang, a simple iron chain suspension bridge first built during the Qing Dynasty from 1876 to 1880.[8] It was destroyed in a flood in 1935 and rebuilt the following year.[8] The bridge was named a National Historical Site in 2006.[8]
Iron chain bridges are more durable than pontoon bridges and allow for year-round use, although when the river level is high during the flood season, boards on the bridge deck must be removed.[9]
Modern bridges
Chang Jiang
The first permanent bridge to cross the Chang Jiang section of the river was the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge, built from 1955 to 1957. The dual-use road-rail bridge was a major infrastructural project in the early years of the People's Republic and was completed with Soviet assistance. The second bridge was a single-track railway bridge built in Chongqing in 1959. The Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge, also a road-rail bridge, was the first bridge to cross the lower reaches of the Yangtze. It was built from 1960 to 1968, after the Sino-Soviet split, and did not receive foreign assistance. The Zhicheng Road-Rail Bridge followed in 1971.
Only two bridges opened in the 1980s, the Chongqing's First Shibanpo Bridge in 1980 and the Luzhou Road Bridge in 1982. Both were in the upper reaches of Changjiang in Sichuan Province, to which Chongqing Municipality belonged at the time.
Bridge-building resumed in the 1990s and accelerated in the first decade of the 21st century due to the rapid growth of the Chinese economy. Jiangxi Province had its first bridge in 1993 with the opening of the Jiujiang Bridge. The first bridge in Anhui Province, the Tongling Bridge, opened in 1995. Six of the 11 bridges built in the 1990s and half of the 40 bridge crossings added in the 2000s were built in Chongqing Municipality, which became a directly-controlled municipality in 1997 to facilitate the construction of the Three Gorges and experienced a building boom.
By 2005, there were over 50 bridges across the Yangtze River between Yibin and Shanghai. The rapid pace of bridge construction has continued. The first tunnel under the Yangtze opened in Wuhan in 2008.
As of December 2014, urban Chongqing has 18 bridges, Wuhan has nine[10] bridges and three tunnels, and Nanjing has five bridges and two tunnels. About a dozen other bridges are now under construction.
Upstream sections
In the upper reaches of the Yangtze above Yibin, the Jinsha (Gold Sands), Tongtian, and Tuotuo sections of the river are narrower and bridges are more numerous. As of December 2014, Yibin had 10 bridges across the Jinsha and Panzhihua had 16.
The Taku Jinsha River Bridge, under construction in Lijiang, is set to become the highest bridge in the world with a bridge deck that is 512 m (1,680 ft) above the surface of the river.[11]
Bridge strain
With the advent of economic growth around the country and widespread use of heavy freight trucks, bridges along the Yangtze have been bearing greater load, leading to greater strain on older bridge structures. The Jiujiang Yangtze River Bridge was originally designed to carry trucks weighing up to 30 t (33 short tons).[12] In 2008, the tonnage limit was raised to 55 t (61 short tons).[12] In November 2011, a crack was discovered in the bridge's steel structure and forced the authorities to close the bridge to freight traffic.[13] In February 2012, the tonnage limit was lowered to 20 t (22 short tons).[12] Truck traffic had to be re-routed to neighboring provinces. In 2012, a crack was discovered in one girder of the Luzhou Yangtze River Bridge, leading to bridge closure and emergency repairs.[14]
Longest and tallest bridges
Bridges over the Yangtze including some of the longest and tallest bridges in the world.
- The Runyang Bridge [2005] (1,490 m (4,890 ft)), Fourth Nanjing Bridge [2012] (1,418 m (4,652 ft)) and Jiangyin Bridge [1999] (1,385 m (4,544 ft)) are all among the ten longest suspension bridges in the world.
- The Sutong Bridge [2008] (1,088 m (3,570 ft)), Edong Bridge [2010] (926 m (3,038 ft)), Jiujiang Expressway Bridge [2013] (818 m (2,684 ft)) and Jingyue Bridge [2010] (816 m (2,677 ft)) all have cable-stayed bridge spans that rank among the top ten in the world.
- The Chaotianmen Bridge [2009] (552 m (1,811 ft)) is the longest arch bridge in the world. The Wushan Bridge [2005] (460 m (1,510 ft)) also ranks in the top ten.
- The Dashengguan Bridge [2010] and Jiujiang Bridge [1992] rank among the longest continuous truss bridges by total truss length.
- The Sutong, Jingyue, Zhongzhou [2009], and Jiujiang Expressway Bridges rank among the ten tallest in the world.
- Chongqing's Second Shibanpo Bridge [2006] set a world record for box girder bridges with a longest span of 330 m (1,080 ft).[15]
Longest span timeline
Year | Bridge | City | Province | Longest span | Type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1957 | First Wuhan Bridge | Wuhan | Hubei | 128 m (420 ft) | truss |
1968 | First Nanjing Bridge | Nanjing | Jiangsu | 160 m (520 ft) | truss |
1971 | Zhicheng Bridge | Zhicheng | Hubei | 160 m (520 ft) | truss |
1980 | First Shibanpo Bridge | Chongqing | Sichuan | 174 m (571 ft) | beam |
1993 | Jiujiang Bridge | Jiujiang | Jiangxi | 216 m (709 ft) | truss & arch |
1995 | Lijiatuo Bridge | Jiulongpo District Nan'an District |
Chongqing | 444 m (1,457 ft) | cable-stayed |
1996 | Xiling Bridge | Yichang | Hubei | 900 m (3,000 ft) | suspension |
1999 | Jiangyin Bridge | Jingjiang, Jiangyin | Jiangsu | 1,385 m (4,544 ft) | suspension |
2005 | Runyang South Bridge | Shiye Island, Zhenjiang | Jiangsu | 1,490 m (4,890 ft) | suspension |
List of existing bridges and tunnels
Chang Jiang
Jinsha
Tongtian
Tuotuo
Name | Image | Location | Province | Opened | Total length | Longest Span | Type | Carries | Coordinates |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G109 Tuotuo River Bridge | 109国道沱沱河大桥 | Tanggula Town (Golmud) | Qinghai (Haixi) | 1958 [note 12] | beam | 34°13′09″N 92°26′37″E / 34.2193°N 92.4435°E | |||
Qinghai-Tibet Railway Tuotuo River Bridge | 青藏铁路长江源特大桥 | 2006 [note 13] | 1,389.6 m (4,559 ft) | beam | Qinghai–Tibet Railway | 34°13′19″N 92°26′09″E / 34.222°N 92.4358°E | |||
Bridges and tunnels under construction
Chang Jiang
Name | Location | Expected opening | Total length | Longest span | Type | Carries | Coord. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Shanghai-Nantong Bridge 沪通长江大桥 | Nantong & Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu | 2019 | ~7,000 m (23,000 ft) | 1,092 m (3,583 ft) | cable-stayed | Hutong Railway | 32°00′33″N 120°44′34″E / 32.009167°N 120.742778°E |
Heyan Road River Tunnel[23] 和燕路过江通道 | Nanjing, Jiangsu | 2022 | 7,368 m (24,173 ft) | - | tunnel | road | |
Yijishan Bridge 弋矶山长江大桥 | Wuhu, Anhui | 2018 | 1,232 m (4,042 ft) | 588 m (1,929 ft) | cable-stayed | Shangqiu-Hangzhou HSR road | 31°21′07″N 118°20′47″E / 31.3519°N 118.3464°E |
Second Wuhu Bridge 芜湖长江二桥 | Wuhu, Anhui | 2017 | 1,622 m (5,322 ft) | 806 m (2,644 ft) | cable-stayed | 31°14′09″N 118°08′14″E / 31.235833°N 118.137222°E | |
Chizhou Bridge 池州长江大桥 | Chizhou, Anhui | 2019[24] | 5,818 m (19,088 ft) | 828 m (2,717 ft) | cable-stayed | ||
Yangsigang Bridge 杨泗港长江大桥 | Wuhan, Hubei | 2019 | 4,318 m (14,167 ft) | 1,700 m (5,600 ft) | suspension | Road[25] | 30°30′24″N 114°15′24″E / 30.5067°N 114.2568°E |
Sanyang Road Yangtze River Tunnel
三阳路长江隧道 |
Wuhan, Hubei | 2018 | 2,590 m (8,500 ft) | - | tunnel | 6-lane road Line 7 |
|
Dunkou Bridge 沌口长江大桥 | Wuhan, Hubei | 2017 | 3,287 m (10,784 ft) | 760 m (2,490 ft) | cable-stayed | Wuhan 4th Ring Rd.[25] | 30°26′11″N 114°11′40″E / 30.436389°N 114.194444°E |
Gongan Bridge 公安长江大桥 | Jingzhou, Hubei | 2018 | 2,015.9 m (6,614 ft) | 518 m (1,699 ft) | cable-stayed | Shashi-Gongan Hwy Jingzhou-Yueyang Railroad | 30°04′06″N 112°19′59″E / 30.068333°N 112.333056°E, |
Fuma Bridge 驸马长江大桥 | Wanzhou, Chongqing | 2017[26] | 2,003 m (6,572 ft) | 1,050 m (3,440 ft) | suspension | ||
Third Wanzhou Bridge 万州长江三桥 | Wanzhou, Chongqing | 2018 | 2,120 m (6,960 ft) | 730 m (2,400 ft) | cable-stayed | road | 30°47′14″N 108°24′11″E / 30.787222°N 108.403056°E |
Guojiatuo Bridge
郭家沱長江大橋 |
Jiangbei & Banan, Chongqing | 2021 | 1,363 m (4,472 ft) | 720 m (2,360 ft) | suspension | 8-lane Expressway Line 8
|
|
Nanjimen Bridge
南纪门长江大桥 |
Nan'an District, Chongqing | 2020 | 1,224 m (4,016 ft) | 480 m (1,570 ft) | cable-stayed | ||
Egongyan Rail Transit Bridge
鵝公岩軌道專用長江大橋 |
Jiulongpo District, Chongqing | 2019 | 1,650 m (5,410 ft) | 600 m (2,000 ft) | suspension | ||
Baijusi Bridge
白居寺长江大桥 |
Dadukou & Banan, Chongqing | 2019 | 1,384 m (4,541 ft) | 660 m (2,170 ft) | cable-stayed | 8-lane Expressway | |
New Baishatuo Bridge 新白沙沱长江大桥 | Dadukou & Jiangjin, Chongqing | 2017[27] | 920 m (3,020 ft) | 432 m (1,417 ft) | cable-stayed | Chongqing–Guizhou HSR | 29°21′05″N 106°25′46″E / 29.351389°N 106.429444°E |
Hejiang Yangtze River Bridge 合江长江大桥 | Hejiang, Sichuan | 2020[28] | 1,560 m (5,120 ft) | 507 m (1,663 ft) | arch | road |
Upstream sections
Planned bridges
Name | Location | Expected opening | Total length | Main span | Type | Carries | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wuxue Bridge | Wuxue, Hubei & Yangxin, Jiangxi | 2018 | 4,331 m (14,209 ft) | 1,328 m (4,357 ft)[31] | cable-stayed | Macheng-Yangxin Hwy | 29°50′25″N 115°30′22″E / 29.840278°N 115.506111°E |
Chibi Bridge | Honghu & Chibi, Hubei | 2018 | 4,557 m (14,951 ft) | 720 m (2,360 ft) | cable-stayed | S214 | 29°51′09″N 113°34′42″E / 29.8525°N 113.578333°E |
See also
Notes
- 1 2 3 Shanghai Yangtze River Tunnel, connecting Pudong on the south bank of the river and Changxing Island, the Shanghai Yangtze River Bridge between Changxing and Chongming Island, and the Chongming–Qidong Yangtze River Bridge linking Chongming with Qidong on the north bank of the river, collectively form one crossing near the river's mouth.
- ↑ The Taizhou Bridge complex crosses two branch streams of the Yangtze and the Yangzhong island in the middle of the river. The bridge over the left stream is a suspension bridge with three towers and two spans. The bridge over the right stream is a pair of box-girder bridges configured as 85+125x3+85 = 545 m (1,788 ft) and 85+125x2+85=420 m (1,380 ft)
- ↑ Runyang Bridge complex crosses the Yangtze via Shiye Island and consists of two main bridges. The Runyang North Bridge is a suspension bridge over the north branch stream between the island and Yangzhou. The Runyang South Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge over the south branch stream between the island and Zhenjiang.
- ↑ The Ma'anshan Bridge complex crosses two branch streams of the Yangtze and the Xiaohuangzhou island in the middle of the river. The bridge over the left stream is a suspension bridge with three towers and two spans. The bridge over the right stream is a cable-stayed bridge with three towers and two spans.
- ↑ The Miaozui Yangtze River Bridge, which spans across the right and left streams of the river and an island in the river, is composed of several bridge sections including a longer suspension bridge with a main span of 838 m (2,749 ft) and a shorter cable-stayed bridge with a main span of 210 m (690 ft).
- ↑ The second track on the Baishatuo Yangtze River Railway Bridge was added in 1978.
- ↑ The upstream span of the New Midi Bridge opened in 2011 and the downstream span opened in 2013
- ↑ The Midi Bridge closed in 2014.
- ↑ The Jinlong Bridge was first built in 1880. It was destroyed in a flood in 1935 and rebuilt in 1936.
- ↑ The Old Zhubalong Bridge has been closed to vehicular traffic.
- ↑ The Qumarlêb Tongtian River Bridge, a rigid frame bridge that built in 2012, replaced a beam bridge built in 1989.
- ↑ The G109 Tuotuo River Bridge, first built in 1958, was rebuilt in 1987 and 2002.
- ↑ The Qinghai-Tibet Railway Tuotuo River Bridge was completed in 2002 and opened to rail traffic in 2006.
References
- ↑ (in Chinese) 大理蒋公祠 2014-03-12
- 1 2 3 (in Chinese) 长江上的大桥 Xinhua 2009-07-22
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 (in Chinese) "浮桥" 《古代经济专题史话》
- 1 2 3 (in Chinese) 古代的索桥浮桥 《重庆晚报评论》 2013-02-18
- ↑ (in Chinese) 石鼓铁虹桥 2014-12-11
- 1 2 3 (in Chinese) 冯智, 吐蕃南诏神州铁桥, 西藏研究 1992-06-14
- ↑ (in Chinese) 茶马古道:征服世界屋脊的文化之脉 2014-12-01
- 1 2 3 (in Chinese) 杨陆, 丽江境跨江桥梁的三项"之最" 2011-02-12
- ↑ (in Chinese) 金沙江铁索桥古迹已被江水淹没(图) 2007-09-06
- ↑ Changjiang Weekly 2018.01.05 pp.6. Zhuankou Yangtze River Bridge Opens to traffic "The Zhuankou River Bridge, now the ninth bridge across the Yangtze in Wuhan, opened to traffic..."
- ↑ (in Chinese) 华坪至丽江高速公路建设动员进场 2013-10-30
- 1 2 3 (in Chinese) 江西九江长江大桥裂缝事件追踪:超限纠错缘何迟来4年 2013-02-16
- ↑ Key Yangtze River bridge closed for repair
- ↑ (in Chinese) 桥墩现裂缝 泸州长江大桥禁行 Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. 2012-11-21
- ↑ "Shibanpo Bridge Breaks World Record for Longest Box Girder Bridge Span" American Segmental Bridge Institute Accessed 2015-02-02
- ↑ "寸滩大桥上演最炫"中国风"". news.sina.com.cn. Retrieved 2017-12-30.
- ↑ (in Chinese) 重庆江津几江长江大桥北岸主塔封顶(图) 2014-11-27
- ↑ 第003版. "重庆几江长江大桥通车". paper.people.com.cn. Retrieved 2017-12-30.
- ↑ (in Chinese) 永川至江津高速通车 半小时跑全程(图) 2014-12-26
- ↑ YIBIN YANGTZE River Bridge
- ↑ (in Chinese) 绥江云川金沙江特大桥 完成投资1.3亿元 昭通日报 2015-01-05
- 1 2 3 4 5 (in Chinese) 杨陆, "丽江境跨江桥梁的三项'之最'" 云南法制报 2011-02-12
- ↑ (in Chinese) 南京纬三路过江隧道年底通车 新华日报 2015-01-16
- ↑ (in Chinese) [http://www.ahwang.cn/anhui/20141231/1404985.shtml 池州长江大桥昨天动工 设计速度100公里/小时] 2014-12-31
- 1 2 (in Chinese) 武汉昨开建两座长江大桥 2019年建成缓解过江压力 2014-12-04
- ↑ (in Chinese) 万利高速公路驸马长江特大桥开工建设 2013-06-21
- ↑ (in Chinese) 渝黔铁路预计2017年底建成 重庆7小时到香港 2015-01-05
- ↑ (in Chinese) 合江长江大桥工程可行性研究报告喜获省发改委批复 Archived December 30, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. 2014-12-05
- ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-02-07. Retrieved 2016-01-30.
- ↑ http://www.highestbridges.com/wiki/index.php?title=Jinshajiang_Bridge_Jindong
- ↑ (in Chinese) 湖北将建武穴长江公路大桥对接瑞昌 项目已通过专家评估 2014-10-11
External links
- (in Chinese) China Jiangsu Net Yangtze River Bridges