Difference between revisions of "2011 High Bridge Trip Photo Album/Week 2"
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Revision as of 22:25, 11 December 2011
2011 China High Bridge Trip Photo Album
Hunan and Guizhou Provinces
The special spans visited during the second week included Xisha, Aizhai, Liuguanghe, Wujiang, Balinghe, Yanjinhe and Beipanjiang 2003 and 2009 Bridges.
WEEK TWO
The Wushan Mountain Bridge is one of China's highest National Road Bridges with a deck 540 feet / 165 meters high. Image by Georges.
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Back on the G65 we encountered the impressive 150 meter deep gorge of the Ganxigou Bridge. Local government officials touted the span as being higher then the Millau Viaduct despite the French bridge being almost twice the height of Ganxigou. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The Ganxigou creek flows through an underground tunnel just a few hundred meters downstream from the bridge. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The Apengjiang Bridge carries the G65 more then 100 meters above a large reservoir. A new highway in the planning stages will likely require a crossing of the Apeng River more then 300 meters high. Stay tuned to HighestBridges.com for more information. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
A section of Youyang City is crossed by the G65 on a viaduct some 75 meters high. The Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The G65 has more miles of tunnel then any other highway on earth with at least 120 kilometers of underground 4-lane tunnels. Here we are about to enter an 8,665 meter / 5.4 mile long tunnel which in itself is longer then all the combined tunnels of the Pennsylvania Turnpike - the most tunneled highway in the U.S. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Xisha Bridge is another spectacular gorge buster along the G65 with the world's highest through arch span some 217 meters high. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Georges goes for a hike up along the top of the concrete filled steel tubular ribs. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Just a kilometer downstream of the bridge is a new dam whose reservoir will likely reduce the height of the arch by at least 30 meters. Image by Georges.
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
A temporary Tibet-style hanging footbridge was located beneath the arch span during construction and ranks among the 10 highest footbridges ever built. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Roger gives some perspective to the scale of the arch ribs. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Someone had fun turning the wall of a cinder block building into the "Xisha Shark". Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Our first major bridge in Hunan Province was the Mengdong River Bridge at the city of Yongshun with a deck 420 feet / 128 meters high. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
We ran into a traffic jam on the way to the Mengdong arch bridge. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The amazing temporary footbridge set up for the construction of the new Mengdong arch bridge. This span was 570 feet above the reservoir and was more then 300 meters long.
We all appreciated the special tour construction manager Michael Wu gave us which included a walk across the footbridge. Our movement across the bridge created some unusual oscillations and other odd motions that made it one of the most unique bridge crossings I have ever taken. The feeling is similar to the experience of walking over a tourist bridge like Canada's Capilano Bridge but with much longer and more sustained up and down "wave" motions. Image by Michael Wu.
Image by Michael Wu.
Image by Michael Wu.
Image by Michael Wu.
Image by Michael Wu.
Image by Michael Wu.
The stunning Aizhai Bridge with a main span nearly as long as the Golden Gate Bridge and a deck height of 1,102 feet! 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
The green safety net gave the span a great glow in the midday sun. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The small town of Aizhai is dwarfed by the bridge. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The Dehang Canyon road dead ends in 4 kilometers where a special minority village is located. As an invited guest you can see a spectacular show with music, colorful costumes, dragons, a fire walker and more! Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The spectacular canyon where the road continues on to the small village and theater.
Image by Georges.
Image by Georges.
They always pluck a guest from the crowd to sing. I was quite embarrassed but managed to "sing" a few lines of Jingle Bells. Image by Ms. Xu.
Georges and Roger get a special walk with one of the lead performers. Image by Ms. Xu.
Our hotel was perfectly located within the small town of Aizhai. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Our hotel served a varied dinner that included every food group imaginable. The black bees at the top of the image were especially tasty with a nice crunch and no worries about getting stung! Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Our trek along the G76 included a visit to the Shimenkan Bridge east of Guiyang City. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Like so many high gorge bridge locations in China, the tight Shimenkan canyon is also home to a dam. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The giant Xiaoguanshuiku Bridge is the highest of many new bridges in the immediate vicinity of Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou Province and ground zero for those looking to venture to the region's incredible collection of high bridges. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Looking north from Xiaoguanshuiku there is a bridge and reservoir as well as the construction of a new expressway tunnel that will lead onto a new viaduct alongside the river. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The last span of Xiaoguanshuiku is asymmetric. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Xiaoguanshuiku Bridge looking north. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
After 10 days of non-stop Chinese meals we finally dined out for some Guiyang pizza! Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
This unusual skyscraper on the western edge of the city looks spectacular at night with lasers and lights shooting off the top in all directions. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
While it is not a very high bridge, we could not resist stopping at the Hongfeng Lake Bridge - the first major span on the G60 west of Guiyang. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The lake is actually a man-made reservoir with at least 2 other bridge crossings. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
We finally reached Balinghe, the second longest mountain bridge of the entire trip with a tower to tower span of 1,088 meters and a deck to river drop of 1,215 feet. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The bridge is simply breathtaking from any vantage point. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Georges begins to form a plan on how we might photograph the mighty span. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
A family moves some furniture across the long deck. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Mr. Chen takes a break in our minivan in front of the west side anchorage. 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
A view of the span looking south from the 2-lane highway to Liupanshui. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Our first of 6 super high Beipanjiang Bridge crossings, the 2003 suspension bridge was the highest on earth for a few years and was the first suspension bridge to topple the height of Colorado's Royal Gorge Bridge with a deck 1,200 feet / 366 meters high. No other river outside of China has more then one bridge among the world's 100 highest - the Beipan has 4 with 3 more coming that will be finished by 2015. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Georges takes in the stunning view. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
A view looking south with cliffs rising 2,000 feet above the river. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
A new arch lies upstream of the suspension bridge and was constructed to span the deep reservoir that formed from a downstream dam. The road down into the valley was loaded with dozens of tight turns and switchbacks. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The 2-lane highway rose another 1,000 feet before we finally began to descend down to the low level arch bridge crossing. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
A motorcycle collision along the steep road that descends into the Bei Pan River gorge. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The Beipanjiang concrete arch bridge that was completed in 2009 and constructed by swinging both halves of the arch out from the river slopes where they were constructed on top of forms built just above the ground. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The Bei Pan River gorge required a climb of more then 2,000 feet back up the east side. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
A quick trip through a local town before the long 2 hour ride back to our Guiyang hotel. 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 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 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 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 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 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 Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Click on Page 3 for Week Three with construction views of Liuchonghe, Malinghe Bridge and More!
