Bridge construction projects span valleys, change lives

Workers use a special walkway as they construct the Zangke River Bridge in Qinglong county, Guizhou province, on May 1. [Qu Honglun/China News Service]

Winning awards

Guizhou is home to all four types of bridge: suspension cable; cable-stayed; arched; and beam.

"There are about 28,000 bridges on Guizhou's roads. If linked together, they would extend more than 5,400 km, farther than a round trip between Beijing and Guiyang, the provincial capital, and also long enough to cross the Chinese mainland," said Xu Xianghua, chief engineer at the Guizhou Transportation Commission.

By the end of last year, nearly half the world's 100 tallest bridges, and four of the 10 tallest bridges, were in Guizhou. Fifteen have won 25 domestic and international awards, while four have won the Gustav Lindenthal Medal.

The medal is one of the most prestigious bridge construction awards in the world, and only five other bridges in China have won it.

Technology, innovation

The 1,849-meter-long Zangke River Bridge is located within the Wumengshan National Geological Park and it spans the Zangke River.

"It is a double-tower, single-span steel truss suspension bridge. The longest drop between the bridge deck and the river is 380 meters. When completed, it will be the 11th highest of the world's 100 tallest bridges," said Zhao Mingfu, the engineer leading construction.

The bridge crosses the meeting point of four counties and districts-Qinglong, Pu'an, Shuicheng and Liuzhi — and will benefit the residents of all those places, and it will also boost economic development, Zhao added.

Engineers devised five technological innovations and 10 management innovations to ensure safety during construction, he noted.

For example, they are using a special alloy on the sealed rope sling, which prevents substances such as dust and rust from damaging the surface. They have also made use of new materials to make the cable, which has superior resistance to corrosion.