Tianba Bridge

Tianba Bridge
田坝大桥
Tianbacun, Yunnan, China
394 feet high / 120 meters high
361 foot span / 110 meter span
2011

Completed in 2011, the 2-lane Zhao Qiao highway connects the cities of Zhaotong and Qiaojia in a remote region of central Yunnan Province. The difficult, inaccessible terrain required the completion of several bridges including one over the Niulanjiang River and an even larger one over a Niulan tributary near the small village of Tianba.

The 596 meter long Tianba or Zhongtianba Bridge has a central span configuration of 60+110x2+60 plus 30 meter approach spans. The tallest pier measures 92 meters.

The Tianba Bridge is located just 2 kilometers south of the Niulanjiang River gorge and about 10 kilometers south of the giant Guangming Niulanjiang Bridge on the newer 4-lane Luqiao Expressway.

An 8.3 earthquake in Ludian, Zhaotong, Yunnan on October 20, 2015 caused rocks and a boulder to roll down and hit the approach bridge of Zhongtianba Bridge, damaging some beams, columns and the bridge deck of the approach bridge.