2015 High Bridge Trip Photo Album/Week 2
2015 China High Bridge Trip Photo Album
Guizhou and Yunnan Provinces
The special spans visited during the third week included Qingshuihe, Balinghe, Beipanjiang Qinglong Railway, Yachi Railway, Yachi expressway and Beipanjiang Duge Bridges.
Our group poses with the owners of this restaurant near the giant Qingshuihe suspension bridge. Image by John Hart.
With a truss deck suspended in space 400 meters above the water, the new Qingshuihe Bridge was a remarkable site to come across in the remote mountains of central Guizhou. Image by Richard Scott.
Image by Damian Kulash Sr.
Image by Richard Scott.
Image by John Hart.
Qingshuihe is the largest suspension bridge in the world to have an orthotropic steel deck which speeds up construction. Qingshuihe is touted as the fastest large scale suspension bridge ever constructed having been completed in just 3 years. Image by John Hart.
Image by Richard Scott.
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by John Hart.
Image from Tadashi Ashimi.
Image by Han Ruoyu.
A shop owner's cat plays with her daughter in Guiyang City. Image by Damian Kulash Sr.
Despite a cosmopolitan population of 6 million people, foreigners are such a rare site in Guiyang City that these locals asked Scott and John for their autographs! Image by Damian Kulash Sr.
Image by Damian Kulash Sr.
The streets of Guiyang are always teeming with activity. Image by Damian Kulash Sr.
The east tower of the new Yachi expressway bridge soars more then 243 meters into the Guizhou sky. Image by John Hart.
Image from Tadashi Ashimi.
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Richard Scott.
The tight work area below the Yachi Bridge tower was jammed with a wide assortment of materials and equipment. Image by Richard Scott.
Image by Damian Kulash Sr.
The west tower of Yachi Bridge is even taller at 258 meters. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
These unique circular anchors will be placed inside the thick concrete back span beams whose weight will be strong enough to counteract the weight of the all steel main span stretching 800 meters across the river channel. This unusual engineering solution was necessary to maintain the equal weight balance of a cantilever since since the back spans are only half the length of the main span. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Damian Kulash Sr.
Image from Tadashi Ashimi.
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
This older crossing of the Wujiang was bypassed by a wider and much stronger concrete arch. There is evidence of a fire having burned the entire wood road deck. Image by Damian Kulash Sr.
A quick stop was made to check out the 438 meter span Liuchonghe cable stayed bridge. The deck is 340 meters high making it the 4th highest cable stayed bridge in the world. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Guizhou's first long span high level crossing, Balinghe Bridge has also become one of the most popular attractions in the region as it is located just a few kilometers west of the giant Huangguoshu Falls tourist spot. Balinghe's central span of 1088 meters is still the longest in Guizhou Province but will be surpassed in 2019 by the Chishuihe Bridge which will be 1,200 meters. Image by John Hart.
A new Balinghe visitors center will open in 2016 allowing guests to purchase tickets for a walk within the Balinghe Bridge truss nearly 370 meters above the river level. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by John Hart.
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The falls shown above are not to be confused with the larger Huangguoshu Falls but they are just as pretty. Located just a kilometer north of the Balinghe Bridge, the three level cascade gets few visitors making for a more relaxing visit. Image from Tadashi Ashimi.
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
A group of campers pitched their tents just across from the falls. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by John Hart.
The Beipanjiang Qinglong Railway Bridge is one for the record books with a main span of 445 meters, larger then any other concrete arch bridge in the world. Two railway lines will carry high speed trains nearly 300 meters above the Beipan River, connecting the two big Western China cities of Guiyang and Kunming. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image from Tadashi Ashimi.
This style of cantenary suspension bridge is popular in Western China. Image by John Hart.
Image by Damian Kulash Sr.
Image from Tadashi Ashimi.
Image by Han Ruoyu.
The east slope of the Beipanjiang Qinglong Railway arch was covered with an assortment of anchors that will assure the stability of the ground. Image by John Hart.
Image by Richard Scott.
Image from Tadashi Ashimi.
Image by Richard Scott.
Mr. Chen relaxes while waiting for lunch near the Beipanjiang Qinglong Railway Bridge. Image by Damian Kulash Sr.
The dam located just a kilometer upstream of the Beipanjiang Qinglong Railway Bridge. Image by Richard Scott.
The towers of the Beipanjiang Duge Bridge were completed just prior to our visit making it easier to envision the completed span, scheduled to open to traffic in 2016 as the world's highest bridge. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image from Tadashi Ashimi.
Image by Richard Scott.
Image from Tadashi Ashimi.
Image by Han Ruoyu.
Image by Richard Scott.
Image by Damian Kulash Sr.
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Tadashi Ashimi.
Image from Tadashi Ashimi.