Over 10000 Bridges, Chongqing Deserves the Fame as City of Bridges

Chongqing is embraced by surrounding mountains and nourished by interweaving waters. Thus, people here have built many bridges to connect regions separated by valleys and rivers. Today, the number of bridges has exceeded over 10,000, leading to Chongqing's popular nickname as the City of Bridges. The title was officially determined by experts in the 2009 Mao Yisheng Forum held in Chongqing.

Advanced techniques

Jialingjiang Bridge is one of the earliest large-span steel-structured ones designed and constructed independently by China, after Qiantangjiang Bridge. The span is 88 meters, and it opened to traffic in 1966. The bridge was designed and built by the Design Department, Bridge Engineering Bureau of Wuhan.

Chongqing-Macao Bridge

In addition to Shibanpo Bridge and its double-track bridge introduced above, Jialing River Bridge, Huanghuayuan Bridge, Jiahua Bridge, Chongqing-Macao Bridge are very famous beam bridges.

Fuling Wujiang Bridge

Besides, as through arch bridges, the Fuling Wujiang Bridge and Wanxian Yangtze River Bridge, Wushan Yangtze River Bridge (19 meters wide with the span of 492 meters), Caiyuanba Bridge (main span: 420 meters), and the Chaotianmen Bridge enjoy a world-class reputation.

In terms of the suspension type, in addition to Shimen Bridge, Lijiatuo Yangtze River Bridge, with the main span of 444 meters, also celebrates the largest span when it was put into service in 1998.

Dongshuimen Yangtze River Bridge (main span: 445 meters), Qiansimen Jialing River Bridge (main span: 312 meters), and Jiayue Jialing River Bridge (main span: 250 meters) are cable-stayed and auxiliary beam one based on the concept of cable-supported girder bridge, despite the regular appearances of a cable-stayed bridge.

Egongyan Bridge

Suspension bridges are rare to be seen in Chongqing for most of its rivers are not very wide. However, Egongyan Bridge (main span: 600 meters) and several others with smaller spans are all of this type. Specifically, the double-track bridge, under construction, of Egongyan Bridge is a self-anchored suspension structure. After completion, it will become the world's largest span, 600 meters, of this type across the world, for the existing record is only 420 meters.

On another point of view, the status of Chongqing's bridges in China is remarkable. The Yangtze River flows through seven provinces and municipalities and stretches across China from the west to east. There are 81 completed Yangtze-River-spanning bridges in service today, and 36 of them situated in Chongqing, accounting for 44% of the total. It is an impressive record for Chongqing.

Furthermore, each of the above-listed four types has set the world records of the largest spans. Chongqing is honorably to be the record breaker for two items with the double-track bridge of Shibanpo Yangtze River Bridge in girder type (main span: 330 meters) and Chaotianmen Bridge (main span: 552 meters). Isn't it amazing for this city to hold half of the world records in this type at the same time?

Source: Official Account on CQCB