Beipanjiang Bridge Duge
Beipanjiang Bridge Duge
杭瑞高速北盘江大桥
Dugexiang, Guizhou, China
1,854 feet high / 565 meters high
2,362 foot span / 720 meter span
2016
World's Highest Bridge 2016-2025
Toppling all previous spans for height at the time of its opening in 2016, the new Beipanjiang Bridge Duge is the first crossing to ever surpass the 500 meter height barrier as well as becoming the first cable stayed bridge to ever hold the title of The World’s Highest Bridge.
No other region on earth has as many high bridges as China’s remote Western Province of Guizhou and there is no waterway within its borders with a greater collection of super-high bridge spans than the mighty Beipan River. Translated as the North Winding River, the BeipanJiang flows on a North-South rift that divides the Western and Eastern halves of Guizhou. The vertical limestone cliffs drop so deep that much of the river is in shadow during the day. Spaced every 50 kilometers along its length are a collection of epic road and railway bridges that have pushed the boundaries of China’s bridge engineering community.
Completed in 2016, the G56 Hangrui Expressway is the last of Guizhou’s great East-West routes that will allow easy access into nearby Yunnan Province across terrain that was previously inaccessible to normal cars and trucks. The entire 4-lane divided highway stretches an incredible 2,935 kilometers from the city of Hanghzou near Shanghai to the border of Burma near Tibet. The extreme geography along the G56 has produced not only the world’s highest bridge over the Beipanjiang River near Duge, Guizhou but also one of the world’s highest suspension bridges several kilometers further west near Puli, Yunnan.
All of this high bridge insanity began in 2001 when the mighty beast of the Beipan River summoned the construction of the World’s Highest Railway Bridge some 275 meters above a boulder-strewn crevasse on the Shuibai Railway. Two years later that triumph was followed by the river’s first road bridge record when the Beipanjiang Bridge Guanxing opened in 2003 surpassing the 300 meter height threshold as well as becoming the first suspension bridge in the world to surpass the height of Colorado’s Royal Gorge bridge after a 74-year reign.
This was followed by a succession of bridges both high and super-high including the Beipanjiang Bridge Hukun on the G60 expressway, the Beipanjiang Bridge on the Shuipan expressway with the world’s third longest span high-level beam bridge, the Beipanjiang Bridge Wang’an expressway, the Beipanjiang Bridge Zhenfeng and the Beipanjiang Huajiang Bridge.
But in 2016 the Beipan delivered its two biggest high bridge gifts at that time in the form of the Beipanjiang Railway Bridge Qinglong - the world’s highest “High-Speed” railway bridge at 295 meters and the colossal Beipanjiang Bridge Duge at 565 meters in height. Other engineering honors Duge can claim include having the third longest steel trussed cable stayed span and one of the 25 tallest bridge towers in the world at 269 meters. The span configuration is 80+2x88 +720 +2x88+80 meters. The truss is 8 meters deep with sections measuring 12 meters in length.
将于2016年建成的都格北盘江大桥,将超越以往所有桥梁的高度,第一个突破桥梁高度500米的障碍,并首次成为拥有“世界最高桥梁”头衔的斜拉桥。
地球上没有一个地方像中国西南的贵州省那样拥有如此之多的高桥。在贵州省内,没有哪条河流的超级高桥梁能比得上北盘江。北盘江,意思是“北部的曲折河流”自北向南流过贵州,将其分割为东西两半。两岸垂直的石灰岩峭壁如此之陡峭以至于一天中大部分时间阳光都无法照射到河面。沿北盘江平均每50公里就有一座伟大的公路或铁路桥梁,推进了中国工程技术的极限。
预计完成于2016年,G56杭瑞高速公路大型东西向主干道,经过无数险峻地形,使人们能方便的驾驶汽车和卡车到达临近的云南省。这条2935公里长的4车道高速公路起点在上海附近的杭州市,终点位于云南和缅甸边境,临近西藏。经过许多极端险峻的地形,不仅造就了位于贵州都格的世界最高北盘江大桥,而且在它西面不远处云南境内还有世界最高悬索桥普立大桥。
所有这些跨越北盘江的高大桥梁起源于2001年,这一年首次在汹涌北盘江上一段直上直下峡谷中建起275米高的世界最高铁路桥。两年后这一荣誉被第一条跨越北盘江的公路高桥——花江北盘江大桥超越,这座桥高达366米,是全世界首座超过300米高的桥梁,也是第一座比科罗拉多州皇家峡谷大桥更高的悬索桥。皇家峡谷大桥保持了74年世界最高悬索桥的头衔。
接下来北盘江上出现了一系列巨大的桥梁:G60沪昆高速公路北盘江大桥,世界最大主跨的山地梁桥水盘高速公路北盘江大桥,望安高速公路北盘江大桥以及贞丰北盘江大桥。
但到2016年北盘江上将见证其最伟大的两座桥梁:其中之一是世界最高大的高速铁路桥——沪昆高速铁路晴隆北盘江大桥,高295米,主跨445米的拱桥。另一座就是杭瑞高速公路都格北盘江大桥——高564米,主跨720米的斜拉桥,将成为世界最高桥梁及最高的斜拉桥。
贵州省面积略小于英国或美国华盛顿州,2000年以前在当地旅行是非常艰巨和危险的。在险峻简陋的旧公路旅行往往需要很多天,并冒很大风险。这种极端困难的地形使得贵州迟迟不能享有类似东部省份那样在1990年代就开始的高速增长。
第一座载入史册的贵州高桥是2001年通车的六广河大桥,高达297米,坐落在一条2车道公路上,连接贵州省会贵阳和西北部的毕节地区,成为首座世界最高的桥梁,超越1929年建成的美国科罗拉多州皇家峡谷大桥(291米高)。随后15年间,贵州省的高速公路开始飞速发展,不仅四车道高速公路遍布全省无论地势多么崎岖不平的地方,还出现了六车道公路。从前贵州有句俗话:天无三日晴、地无三里平、人无三分银。现在还要加上一句:高速公路上无三公里没高桥的路段!
今天贵州省拥有的高大桥梁数量超过中国以外世界各国总和。到2020年前贵州将至少拥有250座超过100米高的桥梁(从水面到桥面测量)。相比之下世界第二多高桥的国家意大利仅有40座超过100米高的桥。全世界桥面高度超过300米的超级高桥约有20座,其中仅有3座在中国以外。
A BASE jump event was held at the Duge Bridge in 2023 with 25 jumpers from 11 different countries.
Image by www.news.cn
Image by www.news.cn
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Image by www.news.cn
A view looking 565 meters straight down to the river! Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
A Russian BASE jumper leaped from the bridge in late 2016.
A Chinese BASE jumper took this unauthorized jump from the bridge. Image by VCG.
Image by VCG.
Image by VCG.
Image by VCG.
Image by VCG.
Image by John Brignoli.
Image by Ben Usagani.
Image by Ben Usagani.
Image by Ben Usagani.
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The middle most cable anchorage that will be supported by the longest stay cable. 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
These concrete filled steel troughs are located within the back spans trusses to keep the deck from getting pulled up from the downward forces of the central span truss. 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 Jon Fether, Jesus Catalan and Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Jon Fether, Jesus Catalan and Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Zhou Ping is the head director of the Beipanjiang Duge Bridge as well as expressway infrastructure in Shuicheng County, Guizhou.
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The Guizhou side tower is an impressive 269 meters tall. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The Yunnan side tower is 247 meters tall. 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 tower tops are more then 735 meters above the Beipan River surface. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image from Tadashi Ashimi.
Image by Richard Scott.
Image by Han Ruoyu.
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Richard Scott.
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The mountain in the foreground obscures the deep gorge of the Beipanjiang Duge Bridge. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Many international newspapers covered the opening of the bridge such as this Arizona Republic newspaper article.
A view looking east from Yunnan Province along the Gexiang River Canyon. 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
Yunnan side traveler. 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 Jon Fether, Jesus Catalan and Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Drawing by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Jon Fether, Jesus Catalan and 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
The original paint scheme was blue for the truss deck sections before they decided to switch to orange. Image by Jon Fether, Jesus Catalan and Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The Beipanjiang Bridge at Duge will be nearly 175 meters higher then Mexico's Baluarte Bridge, the previous record holder for world's highest cable stayed bridge.
The Beipanjiang Bridge at Duge will be nearly 70 meters higher then China's previous high bridge king, the Siduhe Bridge.
The drainage basin of the Beipanjiang Bridge Duge.
The Beipanjiang Bridge was officially announced in December of 2010 but construction would not begin until the fall of 2012. 兴建都格北盘江大桥的计划发布于2010年10月,2012年秋季开始建设。
The first drawing of the bridge was released in 2010 with an earlier design showing a continuous taper of the lower tower. 第一张关于这座桥的想象图发布于2010年,图中较矮的桥墩是连续锥
In 2011 a final inaugural celebration took place. 2011年开工仪式
The 2011 Beipanjiang Duge Bridge render with the redesigned lower tower. 都格北盘江大桥2011年想象图中已体现最终设计
A hike to the top of this 300 meter high mountain at the confluence of the Beipan and Gexiang Rivers affords the best views of the new bridge. 登上这座位于北盘江(可渡河)和革香河交汇处约300米高小山,能在最佳角度观赏这座桥 Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Guizhou tower foundation construction in early 2013. 贵州侧桥塔基础在2013年初开始兴建
A view of the main headquarters and worker housing on the Guizhou side. 贵州侧建设营地一窥 Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
A view looking north up the Beipan River shows another tight gorge where a 500+ meter high crossing could have been constructed. 从桥址沿北盘江北望,可以看到另一处适合修建500+米高桥的桥址 Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The Gexiang River can be seen flowing under the crane towards its confluence with the Beian River. 吊机下方流淌的是革香河,该河与北盘江交汇 Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Two small footbridges across the Beipan and Gexiang Rivers. 两座人行小桥横跨北盘江和革香河 Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
In 2016 the Beipanjiang Footbridge was rehabilitated with a new deck. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The Guizhou towers reach a height of 170 meters. Another 100 meters to go! 贵州侧桥塔达到170米高度,还有100米需要修! Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Large steel tubes make up the temporary support scaffolding on the Guizhou tower. 大型钢管支撑着贵州侧桥塔的临时构件 Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
A view across the canyon towards the Yunnan side. 从贵州侧隔峡谷远望云南侧 Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Progress on the Yunnan towers has fallen behind the Guizhou tower. 云南侧桥塔的进度比贵州侧慢 Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
An aerial of the eastern approach showing the G56 expressway heading towards Liupanshui City, the second largest in Guizhou Province. 航拍东侧G56高速公路的引桥,东面通往贵州第二大城市六盘水 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 eastern approach in 2013 before the piers were constructed. 2013年东侧引桥修建状况 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 giant cave below the Yunnan tower slope. 云南侧谷底的巨大岩洞 Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Gexiang River footbridge in the foreground and the dilapidated Beipan footbridge in the background. 近处是革香河步行桥,远处是废弃的北盘江步行桥 Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Yunnan tower in mid-2013. 云南侧桥塔2013年年中 Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The short main street in the center of Duge town. 都格镇中心的小街 Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Looking south towards the town of Duge. 从都格镇向南望 Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Probably constructed in the early 1990s, this truss-arch across the Beipan was bypassed by a beam bridge and is only open to pedestrians. 可能建于1990年代的这座拱桥已经被一座梁桥取代,现在拱桥仅供行人通过 Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Expressway cuts are visible from Duge town more then 500 meters up on the steep Guizhou slope. 都格镇能看到高速公路在贵州侧500米高的山坡上兴建 Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Guizhou tower foundation work in mid-2013. 贵州侧塔基2013年年中 Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
A rare view of the Beipan during a drought in 2013 exposes rocks and sandbars that are usually hidden from view. 一张罕见的照片,在2013年旱季能看到水量稀少的北盘江裸露出的岩石和沙滩,平时看不到这些 Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
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VISITING THE BEIPANJIANG BRIDGE DUGE ON THE PIPELINE TRAIL
游览都格北盘江大桥的小道
Map of the Beipanjiang Bridge Duge water pipeline trail.
Although there is now a local road from Duge town to the bottom of the gorge below the bridge on the east side of the river gorge, there is also a short 2 kilometer trail along the west side of the gorge that leads to some spectacular vantage points at the bottom of the gorge over 500 meters below the bridge deck including two small suspension footbridges that cross both rivers. This narrow but level trail is used by a few of the farmers who live near the confluence of the Beipan and Gexiang Rivers.
To reach the water pipeline trailhead you will need to drive south on local road S212 for 30 minutes from Liupanshui City to the small town of Dugexiang. After crossing the Beipan River on a small beam bridge continue north on S212 a few hundred meters and turn right into the water power building entrance and park. 北盘江都格一带的水系地形图。
要真实感受都格北盘江大桥及其周边的惊人尺度和美丽,需要沿河的西岸进行两公里徒步旅行,到达桥面下方植被茂密的峡谷底部,距离桥面垂直落差
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The Beipanjiang water level was at 919 meters near Duge city in August of 2013. 都格镇附近的919米海拔水位标志,2013年8月 Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Another power station on the east side of the river. 河东另一座水电站 Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Giant house-sized boulders can be seen during unusually low water levels in 2013. 在2013年特别干旱的气候条件下,河中能看到平时少见的房屋一样的大的岩石 Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
During heavy rains these swimmers would be swept away. 如果下大雨这些游泳的小孩就不会在这里了 Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The Gexiang River footbridge greets visitors after 2 kilometers of hiking. 革香河步行桥欢迎游客跋涉2公里到来这里 Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
A view of the Beipanjiang with the Gexiang River at the bottom. 北盘江景色,下方是革香河 Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The Gexiang River in August of 2013. 2013年8月的革香河 Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The once unused Beipanjiang footbridge. 现已被废弃的北盘江人行桥 Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
The Beipanjiang Footbridge with a new deck installed in 2016. Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
A view looking up the Beipan River where the bridge deck will cross over 500 meters above the water. 北盘江上游景色,都格大桥桥面将从这里的500多米高空通过 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
South of Duge the Beipan continues to flow under at least 6 more bridges that exceed 200 meters in height. 都格以南,北盘江上还有至少6座高于200米的桥梁 Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Another water pipeline trail descends down along the edge of the Yunnan slope. 另一条水边小道在云南侧山坡上蜿蜒而下 Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com
Beipanjiang Bridge Duge satellite image.
Satellite view showing the great high bridge crossings of the Beipanjiang in the upper right and Puli Bridge in the lower left. 卫星图右上方显示巨大的高桥横跨北盘江,左面下方是普立大桥
Beipanjiang Bridge Duge location map.