Yanjin Avenue Bridge

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Yanjin Avenue Bridge
盐津大道大桥
Renhuai, Guizhou, China
(574) feet high / (175) meters high
1,083 foot span / 330 meter span
2024

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Located just south of Renhuai City, the Yanjin Avenue Bridge is the 5th major crossing of the Yanjin River in this area of the gorge. The first crossing was the concrete truss arch that opened in 1995 and was at the time China's highest bridge at 189 meters. That bridge was followed in later years by several concrete cantilevered beam crossings just upstream.

The latest crossing consists of a wide 33 meter deck supporting 6 lanes of traffic and 2 pedestrian walkways. The north towers stands approximately 208 meters tall. The Yanjin Avenue Bridge will be the first in the area that does not cross the deep reservoir that was formed from a tall dam just 100 meters upstream of the cable stayed bridge.

The parallel concrete arch from 1995 has been closed due to structural defects and will probably be removed soon. In the meantime you can get nice views of the Yanjin Avenue Bridge from an observation tower shaped like a giant Maotai alcohol bottle that sits on a hill high up over the Yanjinhe River gorge. The famous drink is the most consumed liquor in China and a major employer in Renhuai making it one of Guizhou's wealthier cities.


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Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com


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The renowned Guizhou Maotai alcohol factory is located in Renhuai. The famous drink is the most consumed liquor in China with alcohol content that ranges from the standard 53 percent down to 35 percent. The drink has a soy-sauce like fragrance that is distilled from fermented sorghum. An observation tower shaped like a giant can sits high up over the Yanjinhe River gorge.


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The fancy west end arch bridge gateway. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com


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Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com


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This wall was built sometime after 2011 to completely block any motorbike or pedestrian traffic from crossing the damaged arch bridge. A new beam bridge was built in 2007 to bypass the arch and in 2024 the cable stayed bridge offered another route across the canyon. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com


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A 2008 view of the Yanjinhe Dam that created the reservoir now under 3 of the bridges. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com


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In 2011 the reservoir was much lower due to a regional drought. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com


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A rare view showing the full height of the arch bridge before the reservoir filled up behind the dam.


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A 2008 view of the concrete barrier that was placed at both ends of the arch bridge to prevent vehicles from crossing. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com


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During my 2011 visit a notch had been cut into the barrier so motorbikes could more easily traverse over it. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com


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In the foreground is the Yanjinhe 2007 beam bridge that bypassed the damaged arch from which this photo was taken. In the far background is the new 2009 Yanjinhe highway bridge. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com


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Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com


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Yanjin Avenue Bridge satellite image.


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Yanjin Avenue Bridge location map.