2012 High Bridge Trip Photo Album/Week 2
2012 China High Bridge Trip Photo Album
Hubei and Chongqing Provinces
The special spans visited during the second week included Yuzui, Caijiagou Railway, Qingcaobei, Wanxian, Meixihe, Wushan, Shennongxi, the big beam spans of the G42 Expressway as well as the massive 3 Gorges Dam.
Located just a few kilometers east of Chongqing Airport, the giant Chaoyangsi Bridge crosses a wide and deep valley on 3 spans of 130 meters. Image by Georges.
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The latest Chongqing City regional suspension bridge is Yuzui, located on the northeast side of the city to facilitate easy access to the new airport. The main span measures 616 meters with a 100 foot wide deck that carries 6 lanes of traffic plus 2 safety lanes. The span is composed of 50 steel box girder sections that are 12 meters long with each weighing 180 tons. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The Huaihua railway bridge is one of the only railway bridges to cross the Yangtze near Chongqing with 2 spans of 192 meters. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The Changshou Bridge is one of the newer spans to be built in the Chongqing region having opened in 2009 with a large main span of 460 meters. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Jiang Changjiang.
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Jiang poses with one of his family members. Image by Georges.
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
A year after our 2011 trip we revisited the gargantuan Caijiagou high speed railway bridge with 41 piers including one that reaches a height of 456 feet (139 meters), the largest of any pier on any railway bridge in the world. The massive piers are shaped like the Chinese character 人 to keep the huge structure stable. The total length of the bridge is 1 and a quarter miles or 2.05 kilometers. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Separated by a tunnel from the Caijiagou Bridge, the nearby Xinshuangxian Bridge is the world's 2nd largest railway viaduct with 7 spans of 96 meters perched on piers as tall as 114 meters. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The very first Fuling area bridge was completed in 1997 with a main span of 330 meters. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Shibangou was the third large Fuling area cable stayed bridge over the Yangtze with a central span of 450 meters. Image by Jiang Changjiang.
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The Wujiang River Bridge near Fuling carries the new Fengfu Expressway high above the river which is partially submerged under the 3 Gorges reservoir. The central span of 320 meters is held up by two towers 200 and 205 meters tall. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The Wujiang Fuling Railway Bridge with a main span of approximately 140 meters. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The Heizhulin Bridge is one of several giant beam spans on the new Fengfu expressway between Fengdu and Fuling cities that will open in 2013. The central span is 150 meters. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Lidu Bridge was the second of three large Fuling area cable stayed spans to cross the Yangtze. Opened in 2007 the main span measures 398 meters. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The biggest surprise of the trip came in the form of the 788 meter span Qingcaobei Yangtze suspension bridge. With no word of it on any bridge blogs or websites, it was quite a shock to see it off in the distance while traveling along a local highway. This is also the first suspension bridge in the world to have a full sized prestressed approach span. This unique T-beam is composed of two 90 meter spans. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The process of installing the hundreds of suspender cables had recently began. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The bridge will be among the highest to cross a river so wide with a deck to water drop of more than 100 meters. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The Chinese fast food chain Dico's is the third largest in China after McDonald's and KFC so we decided to try it out during our stay in Fuling. Most of us preferred the authentic (and cheaper) Chinese food. Image by Georges.
Our Fuling City hotel had their dining room at the top of the hotel with nice views of the city. Image by Georges.
Image by Georges.
Image by Georges.
Jiang shows off his unusually long fingernail in front of the Fuling Yangtze pipeline bridge. Not sure where the Chinese tradition of growing a long fingernail came from. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The new high speed rail line will continue traveling east from Chongqing across the HanTangjiatuo truss cable stayed bridge when it opens in 2013. Image by Jiang Changjiang.
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Traveling north along the Yangtze we encountered several large beam bridges along the under construction Fengfu Expressway. This one near Fuling has a main span of 120 meters. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Further north another big Fengfu beam bridge arises with a central span of 150 meters. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The Fengdu Yangtze Bridge is unique for having just 2 lanes as traffic and car ownership was light in 1997. The stiffened truss deck was also common on all of China's pre-2000 suspension bridges. Since 2010, steel box decks have become nearly as popular. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
While we were not entirely surprised to discover a second crossing is now under construction in Fengdu City we never would have guessed the main span would be 680 meters making it one of the 25 longest cable stayed bridges in the world. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Longhe is the king of Fengfu beam bridges with a massive central span of 240 meters rising more then 100 meters above the 3 Gorges reservoir. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Yet another giant high speed railway viaduct on the line between Yichang and Chongqing City. This one looks to be at least 80 meters above a creek near Fengdu City. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The Zhongxian Yangtze River Bridge has concrete towers that support a steel truss span of 460 meters. The bridge opened to traffic in 2001. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The G50 expressway Zhongxian Yangtze Bridge is the longest of all the upper Yangtze crossings with a length of 2,129 meters composed of an assortment of spans that are as follows: 35X3+40X3+112+200+112+205+460+205+40X4+30X15. The bridge is half submerged in the deep waters of the 3 Gorges reservoir with towers taller then the Golden Gate bridge. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Georges.
Image by Georges.
A lady prepares more noodle strands to keep Georges and me loaded up on carbs! Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The Guanjiagou Bridge is the lowest of more then a half dozen G42 expressway beam spans we would visit that exceed 100 meters in height. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Wanxian was one of China's first bridges to enter the record books, in this case for longest concrete arch. Completed in 1995 the arch spans over 420 meters above the deep waters of the 3 Gorges reservoir. During construction, a concrete-filled tubular arch truss frame was built to support the weight of the concrete arch and is embedded within the arch. Expect several new Chinese railway arches to match it for span size in the next few years. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The Wanzhou Railway Bridge is one of China's longer arch spans at 360 meters. The giant bridge is also the only railway crossing of the Yangtze between the Chongqing City and Yichang city regions. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The Second Wanzhou suspension bridge is similar to its downstream cousin in Zhongxian but with a bigger main span of 580 meters. Image by Georges.
Located just north of Wanzhou over a tributary of the Yangtze, this unique truss bridge has 3 main spans of 120 meters that look very similar to Chile's Malleco Viaduct. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Also in the Wanzhou region, the Caidigou Railway Bridge crosses over the new G42 expressway with 3 truss spans of approximately 65 meters. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The Bayang Bridge is actually one of two similar beam spans located just a few hundred meters apart with similar main spans of 150 meters and deck heights of about 100 meters. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The Pengxihe River bridge is the second highest of 3 large cable stayed bridges on the G42 expressway that connects Yichang and Chongqing. The most impressive aspect of the Pengxihe Bridge are the two main towers that stand 208 and 202 meters tall. The central span is 316 meters. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The Yunyang Bridge crosses the Yangtze with asymmetrical towers. The taller tower is 85 feet (26 meters) higher above the Yangtze River. Image by Georges.
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
This gargantuan beam bridge towers approximately 500 feet above a Yangtze tributary on the G42 expressway. I am still unsure of the name but hope to know more soon. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Further up the G42 is the even more massive Tanxihe beam bridge with a central span of 230 meters atop piers 156 meters tall. Image by Georges. This stretch of the G42 was completed in 2009 despite the east end of the expressway not scheduled for completion until 2013.
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Another unknown G42 beam span, this one about 75 meters above a small river. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
While it might not have the largest span of the G42 beam bridges at 180 meters, the Hongshiliang Bridge was the highest with the east and westbound lanes rising 505 and 550 feet above a steep river ravine. 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 Georges.
Image by Jiang Changjiang.
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Georges.
Image by Georges.
Image by Georges.
Image by Georges.
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Georges.
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 Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Georges.
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 Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Georges.
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Jiang Changjiang.
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 Georges.
Image by Georges.
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Georges.
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Jiang Changjiang.
Image by Georges.
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Jiang Changjiang.
Image by Jiang Changjiang.
Image by Jiang Changjiang.
Image by Jiang Changjiang.
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Georges.
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Georges.
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 Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Jiang Changjiang.
Click on Page 3 for Week Three with views of the Lower Yangtze Bridges, Shanghai, Hangzhou Bay and More!