Tag: bridges

THE 10 GREAT LONGEST BRIDGES IN THE WORLD

by Sree DivyaUncategorizedLeave a Comment on THE 10 GREAT LONGEST BRIDGES IN THE WORLD

A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle, such as a body of water, valley, or road, without closing the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, usually something that is otherwise difficult or impossible to cross. There are many different designs that each serve a particular purpose and apply to different situations. Ancient people would also have used log bridges; that is a timber bridge that fall naturally or are intentionally felled or placed across streams. Some of the first man-made bridges with significant span were probably intentionally felled trees. Among the oldest timber bridges is the Holzbrucke Rapperswil-Hurden crossing upper Lake Zurich in Switzerland; the prehistoric timber piles discovered to the west of the Seedamm date back to 1523 BC. On April 6, 2001, the reconstructed wooden footbridge was opened, being the longest wooden bridge in Switzerland.

The Romans built arch bridges and aqueducts that could stand in conditions that would damage or destroy earlier designs. Some stand today. An example is the Alcantara Bridge, built over the river Tagus, in Spain. In India, the Arthashastra treatise by Kautilya mentions the construction of dams and bridges. A Mauryan bridge near Girnar was surveyed by James Princep. The use of stronger bridges using plaited bamboo and iron chain was visible in India by about the 4th century. Rope Bridges a simple type of suspension bridge, were used by the Inca civilization in the Andes mountains of South America, just prior to European colonization in the 16th century. A major breakthrough in bridge technology came with the erection of the Iron Bridge in Shropshire, England in 1779. It used cast iron for the first time as arches to cross the river Severn. Humans have built some astonishing bridges around the world. Longest Bridges are more than 3 kilometers (1.9 mi) in length sorted by their full length above land and water. The main span is the longest span without any ground support. Here is a list of the world’s longest 10 bridges in the world.

1.Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge(China)

Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge is a 164.8-kilometre-long (102.4 mi) viaduct on the Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway and it was completed its construction in 2010. As of June 2011, Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge in China held the Guinness World Record for being the world’s longest bridge. This bridge can bear the direct impact from naval vessels weighing 300,000 tons or less. It is the world’s longest bridge. Being a mega dream project, it was expected to bring a boom in China’s communication infrastructure. China gave a boost to its industrial capabilities from early 2000 by planning to construct several long bridges. With the construction of Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge, China easily overcame its massive public and industrial transportation system. This bridge plays a pivotal role to connect the country’s prominent industrial hubs. Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge connects China with the Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway. The railway that the bridge connects spans 818 mi (1317 km), and is an engineering feat of its own.

The Construction of the Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge lasted four years and resources costing $8.5 billion. Linking popular metropolitan cities of China, namely Shanghai and Nanjing in the Jiangsu Province, this overpass bridge is the lifeline of the nation. In operation since June, 2011, Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge runs parallel to China’s renowned Yangtze River for approximately 8 to 80 kilometers in the southern side of the river. This bridge touches many populated areas, namely Danyang, Changzhou, Wuxi, Suzhou, and Kunshan, among others. A robust team of 10,000 men, including core laborers, engineers and rest professionals, worked dedicatedly to ensure that its construction of the longest bridge in Asia could complete in the stipulated time frame. This bridge has been constructed in a way that it is capable to bear natural disasters like typhoons and at least 8 magnitude earthquakes this bridge from the ground is 100 feet. The capital city of China’s Jiangsu Province, Nanjing is a popular urban area that remains connected to Shanghai on the other side through the world’s largest bridge Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge. This East Chinese city is located on the famous Yangtze River Delta region, Nanjing. This area is known for rich traditions and cultural vibrancy.

2.Changhua–Kaohsiung Viaduct Bridge(Taiwan)

Changhua-Kaohsiung Viaduct is the world’s second longest bridge. This bridge is 157.317 km (516,132 ft) or 97.8 miles in length and it was completed in 2007. The railway is built across a vast series of viaducts, as they were designed to be earthquake resistant to allow for trains to stop safely during a seismic event and for repairable damage following a maximum design earthquake. Bridges built over known fault lines were designed to survive fault movements without catastrophic damage. The bridge goes from Baguashan in Changhua County to Zuoying in Kaohsiung. THSR Changhua, Yunlin, Chiayi, Tainan stations are built along this viaduct. Changhua–Kaohsiung Viaduct Bridge Completed its construction in 2007. Over 200 million passengers had been carried over it by December 2012. The bridge acts as a viaduct for part of the railway line of the Taiwan High Speed Rail network.

3.Tianjin Grand Bridge(China)

Tianjin Grand Bridge is one of the longest bridges in the world with a total length of about 113.700km, or 70.6 miles. It is one of the high-speed trains that dart from Beijing to Shanghai is like taking a trip through the thousand faces of China. The route also includes the entrance to a tunnel over 6 km (3.7 miles) long that connects two artificial islands. A few kilometers from Tianjin’s skyscrapers, European-style buildings and the upscale residential area of Wudadao (the city’s Five Great Boulevards), a viaduct soars over the city for 113 kilometres (70 miles). Tianjin Grand Bridge is very complex project. This city of 15 million inhabitants is known for the vitality of its port. Tianjin home to an incredible infrastructure. Its massive span races the high-speed railway line between Beijing and Shanghai, one of the busiest and most profitable sustainable mobility routes in the country.

Much of the viaduct runs through the densely populated urban area surrounding the metropolis. The idea of running the high-speed train along an elevated viaduct was a smart solution: every kilometre of railway built on the ground would have required 28.4 hectares (70 acres) of earthworks, and therefore would have had a devastating environmental impact on the urban area. The viaduct was designed in 32 sections, each weighing 860 tons. Work on the project began in 2006 and was completed in 2010, with the inauguration on June 30, 2011. In order to achieve all this, the government made the huge investment of around $20 billion, made possible by China’s development policies. The latitude of Tianjin Grand Bridge, Hebei, Tianjin, China is 39.056084, and the longitude is 117.054947.

4.Cangde Grand Bridge(China)

Cangde Grand Bridge is the world’s fourth longest bridge. It was finished in 2010. The length of Cangde Grand Bridge is 105.810 km. The bridge is a part of the Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway and is the third longest bridge on the railway in 2010. The bridge has been designed with a view to withstanding earthquakes. The total length of the Cangde super-large bridge is 105.81 km (65.75 mi) and it has a total of 3092 piers. Like the Beijing Grand Bridge, this one also carries a high-speed railway connecting Beijing and Shanghai. Its length is 380,210 feet. This bridge is to provide with the structural stability it needs to stay intact despite any tectonic shifting and destructive forces. The Cangde Grand Bridge also crosses the Wei River and several other, smaller rivers.

5.Weinan Weihe Grand Bridge(China)

The Weinan Weihe Grand Bridge is a part of the Zhengzhou–Xian High-Speed Railway which connects Zhengzhou and Xi’an, in China. This bridge series is also in China and is also a viaduct for high speed rail. The length of this bridge is 79.732-kilometer (49.543 mi). Weinan Weihe Grand Bridge crosses the Wei River twice, as well as many other rivers, such as the Ling river, Luofu river, Xi river, Shi Di river and many more, highways and railways. Upon its completion, it was the longest bridge in the world, but surpassed by two new bridges on Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway that completed in 2010.

During construction of the Weinan Weihe Grand Bridge, there were at least 10,000 workers 2,300,000 cubic meters of concrete and 45,000 tons of steel. The bridge was completed in 2008. It seems like these days although this is not a bridge with a highway it is still a bridge and the 5th longest in the world currently with a length of approximately 80 kilometers. This bridge was once the longest bridge in the world but not for long, as the other two new bridges on Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway that completed in 2010.

  1. The Bang Na Expressway (Thailand)

Bang Na Expressway in Bangkok, Thailand, is not only the longest bridge in the world, but also represents the largest precasting operation ever carried out. This is a wonderful bridge construction, one of the longest bridges in the world. The construction of the main road started in 1995 and lasted for five years. Officially, the bridge was opened in February 2000. The bridge length is 54 kilometers, and the width is 27.2 meters. There are three lanes in each direction. The Bang Na Expressway was designed by the late Louis Berger. The impressive sum, more than 1 billion US dollars was invested in the construction of this wonderful bridge. It took 1,800,000 cubic meters of concrete to build the bridge. The bridge was completed in January 2000. Traffic congestion has been one of Bangkok’s main problems for several years. To solve this problem, Bang Na Magistrate was built. Although traffic on the bridge is chargeable, Bang Na remains very demanding for the drivers since opening.

The variant on the bridge instead of the strenuous traffic jam, also attracts the numerous tourists. From the main road, the wonderful panoramas open onto the city. The bridge was built over the busy 34 motorway, which is considered one of the city’s traffic-congested and difficult streets. The leading engineers and architects from Thailand and the USA, whose number was also Gin M.Mullers, have participated in the development of the bridge project. The bridge construction has demanded more than 1.8 million cubic meters of concrete, which ensures the high reliability and resilience of the bridge. It provides an important link in the transportation system around Bangkok and is expected to play a major role in the commercial development of Southeast Thailand. The world’s longest car bridge, the Bang Na Expressway, held the title of the world’s longest bridge from 2000 until 2008. The title of ”world’s longest bridge” is an honorific that has been proudly held by several structures throughout history.

  1. Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah Causeway(Kuwait)

The Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah causeway project includes two causeway paths over the Kuwait Bay. The Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah Causeway is a mega bridge project with an estimated construction value of approximately US$3 billion. Kuwait Ministry of Public Works (MPW) involved the construction of a 36km road to Subiyah and a 13km connection to Doha. Construction commenced in November 2013 and the causeway was officially inaugurated in May 2019. The causeway project reduces the distance between Kuwait City and Subiyah in the northern part of Kuwait, as well as decreases the travelling time from 90 minutes to less than 30 minutes. The main causeway or the Subiyah connection is 36km-long, 27km of which is a marine bridge connection. A signature element of the causeway is a main cable-stayed bridge featuring a 200m span and an arc pylon.

Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah Causeway also includes an elevated road and 5km of access roads connecting to the Subiyah area. A free-flowing interchange at the port links to Kuwait City’s road network. The project also included the construction of two 30ha artificial islands, which feature traffic and emergency service buildings, maintenance facilities, a gas station and a boat dock. The islands include a 23m-high navigation causeway and a 120m navigation opening for passing ships. It is one of the largest and most challenging transport infrastructure projects in Kuwait, as well as the entire Middle East region. The government is also developing a new residential area, named as the Silk City, in Subiyah for 500,000 inhabitants. The city is being developed to renew the ancient Silk Road trade route between China and Kuwait.

  1. Beijing Grand Bridge(China)

Beijing Grand Bridge is a 48.153 kilometres long railway viaduct on the Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway, located in Beijing. Longest span of this Beijing Grand Bridge is 44 m (144 ft). It was completed in 2010 and opened in 30 Juna, 2011. It is one of the longest bridges in the world. The Beijing Grand Bridge links the two cities to provide arguably the most valuable transit connection in China in just around five hours. The bullet train that utilizes the Beijing Grand Bridge travels at speeds between 155mph and 185mph and offers different options for passengers. The Beijing–Shanghai high-speed railway is also known as the Jinghu high-speed railway. More than $8.5 billion US dollars was invested in the construction of this wonderful bridge.

  1. Lake Pontchartrain Causeway(United States)

The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, sometimes only the causeway, is a fixed link composed of two parallel bridges crossing Lake Pontchartrain in southern Louisiana, United States. The longer of the two bridges is 38.35 km (23.83 miles) long. The southern terminus of the causeway is in Metairie, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans. The northern terminus is at Mandeville, Louisiana. Lake Pontchartrain Causeway became the longest bridge over water (continuous) while Jiaozhou Bay Bridge the longest bridge over water (aggregate). The bridges are supported by 9,500 concrete pilings. The two bridges span the navigation channel 8 miles (13 km) south of the north shore. In 1969, Louisiana’s lake Pontchartrain Causeway was officially recognized by Guinness World Records as the longest bridge over water in the world.

Heading east or west around the lake was a time-consuming process, so plans were made to create a direct connection across the center of the lake to its northern shore. In 1955, the Louisiana Bridge Company was created to undertake the construction project. It took just 14 months to build the first two-lane span of the causeway, which opened in 1956. The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway was officially recognized as the longest bridge over water in the world, a record it held unchallenged until 2011.The second bridge was opened in 1969, separated from the original by about 84 feet. The second span was only about 50 feet longer than the original, but it was enough to finally catch the attention of the Guinness Book of World Records.

  1. Line 1 of Wuhan Metro Bridge(China)

The first metro line in Wuhan, the capital of the Hubei province of China, became operational in September 2004. Wuhan is located at the meeting point of two rivers, Han and Yangtze, and the main purpose of constructing the metro is to ease traffic congestion on the bridges across the Yangtze River. Operational since December 2012, line 2 of the metro is partly underground, whereas line 1 is completely elevated. The high-speed light rail project is managed by Wuhan Metro Group, and aims to provide a fast, safe, energy-saving and dependable mode of transport. Wuhan Metro will have eight lines in total.

Line 1 is 29km-long and covers 25 stations, carrying more than 220,000 passengers on 33 trains. The first phase of the line was opened in 2004, while phase II entered commercial service in July 2010. The phase III expansion, extending the north-east terminus to Hankou North Station, entered commercial service in May 2014. The first phase of Wuhan Metro line 2 is 27.73km-long with 21 stations, linking the Hankou and Wuchang Districts. The dual-track, fully electrified line carries up to 800,000 passengers. The Line 1 of Wuhan Metro is the longest continuous metro viaduct in the world. Line 1 opened on 28 July 2004, making Wuhan the fifth city in mainland China to have a metro system after Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Guangzhou. This is the first Metro line in China incorrectly referred to as a light rail line in Chinese terminology. Length of this bridge is 37.788 km.

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Ten Highest Bridges in the World

by Sree DivyaUncategorizedLeave a Comment on Ten Highest Bridges in the World

The height of the bridge is ranked by the height of the deck which is the maximum distance from the road of the bridge down to the ground or water beneath.

1.Sidu River Bridge, China

Sidu River Bridge which hangs over 1,627 nauseating feet above a canyon floor, connecting two mountaintops. This bridge was part of China’s ever-expanding highway system, connecting two disparate parts of the country that were previously separated by difficult, mountainous terrain and multiple rivers.
It is located in the Hubei Province and crosses the valley of the Sidu River. The bridge spans just over 5,000 feet across the river valley . It is located at the border of Yichang and En’shi in the Hubei province. It is 1365 m across. This is not to say that the bridge isn’t safe. main cables are capable of holding up over 43 million tons of weight, which should be more than adequate to support any number of vehicles that might want to make the trip across. huge amounts of steel and concrete that make up the bridge strong.

  1. Baluarte Bridge, Mexico

The Baluarte Bridge is built across the deep ravine in the Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range in north Mexico. The 403m (1,322 ft)tall bridge is the Guinness World Record holder for the highest cable-stayed bridge. The 1,124m Baluarte Bridge is an essential part of the Mazatlan-Durango highway, a $1.4bn new roadway linking the coastal city of Mazatlan to Durango, the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Durango. It is also the second highest bridge in the world.
The bridge is expected to carry more than 2,000 vehicles every day. The bridge is officially called the Baluarte Bicentennial Bridge. It is the crown jewel of the greatest bridge and tunnel highway project ever undertaken in North America. it will be the only crossing for more than 500 miles (800 km) between the pacific coast and the interior of Mexico. By cutting a safer, more direct route through the mountains, the highway department of Mexico hopes to improve trade and increase tourism between the city of Durango and the coastal city of Mazatlán.

  1. Baling River Bridge, China

The Baling River Bridge is a suspension bridge in Guanling County in Guizhou Province of China. With a height of 1,214 feet (370 mtrs) from deck to water, the Balinghe River bridge is the tenth highest bridge in China .The suspension range is 1,088 m 3,570 ft long, and the bridge has an aggregate length of 2,237 m 7,339 ft. It is likewise one of the world’s most elevated bridges with 370 m 1,210 ft of freedom over the river. Balinghe bridge is located in a hot spot of high Chinese bridges and is less than 100 miles (161 km) from many others in the region, Also be sure to visit nearby Huangguoshu waterfalls, one of the largest in China with a drop of 243 feet (74 mtrs).

The deck tallness of a bridge is the most extreme vertical drop remove from the bridge deck, the street, rail or other transport bed of a bridge down to the ground or water surface underneath the bridge range. The bridge is a piece of the G60 Shanghai, Kunming Expressway among Kunming and Guiyang and lessened the movement time over the river valley from one hour to four minutes. Balinghe is one of a dozen high Chinese suspension bridges with extremely long spans. Some of the others are Siduhe, Aizhai, Jinshajiang Bridge Jin’an, Dahe, Qingshuihe, Chishuihe Bridge Hongjun, Kaizhouhu, Daduhe Bridge Xingkang and Beipanjiang Huajiang bridges.

  1. Beipanjiang River 2003 Bridge, China

The highest bridge in the world upon its opening in late 2003, the 1,200 foot (366 meter) high Beipanjiang Bridge Guanxing highway became the second Chinese span in just two years to take this honor. The bridge is also one of 4 Beipanjiang River crossings to have been among the world’s 10 highest. Then in 2016 the Beipanjiang Bridge Duge opened with a World Record deck height of 564 meters. The word Beipanjiang translates into North Winding River with the word “Bei” meaning north and “Pan” meaning winding. The Beipanjiang River traverses through some of China’s most spectacular mountain gorges. When China began to expand its road and railway system in the 1990s, the river became the biggest obstacle between the city of Guiyang and the city of Kunming.
The Beipanjiang River bridge was one of 4 medium sized suspension bridges that were designed and built in the same time period. The other 3 include the Azhihe, Xixi and Luojiaohe bridges. Despite its fall from the top spot among China’s highest spans, the Beipanjiang Bridge Guanxing is still one of the most vertigo inducing of all with cliffs that plummet into a void that seems to have no bottom. The bridge is perfect for tourists with pedestrian friendly parking areas on both sides of the gorge as well as walkways along the edges of the span.

  1. Aizhai Bridge, China

It is located deep in the heart of China’s Hunan Province near the city of Jishou, the suspension bridge is the largest structure on the Jishou to Chadong expressway with a deck 1,102 feet (336 mtrs) above the DeHang Canyon and has also become a major tourist attraction with a walkway partly made of glass accessible via a large group of escalators and elevators. It is the world’s highest and longest tunnel-to-tunnel bridge in China to cross a valley so wide it seems to be connecting two mountain ranges. The first three were the Siduhe, Balinghe and Beipanjiang Hukun bridges.
With most of the structure hidden from view, the bridge will come as a jaw-dropping surprise whether you enter the canyon from either tunnel. In addition to cost savings, the stubby support also allows the bridge to blend more naturally into its surroundings. The taller bridge tower is no less unique with side span cables that soar down the backside of a mountain, making first time visitors quizzical as to what exactly lies ahead. The overlook and visitors center offer additional views of the broad valley. In view of the particular problems posed by the surrounding landscape and geologic conditions, and to minimize the impact of the bridge on the natural environment, a novel pylon-girder detached suspension structure was adopted, in which there is a large difference in the span between the main cable and the stiffening girder.

  1. Beipanjiang River 2009 Bridge, China

The river remains the biggest obstacle between the city of Guiyang and the city of Kunming. Construction of the bridge was built using a method developed by the Chinese that had never been used before on a bridge so large. It was opened to the public in 2009, just 6 years after another (and higher) bridge crossing the same river was opened (see number 4 in this list).The 1,043 foot (318 mtr) high Beipanjiang highway bridge became the 3rd high crossing of the Beipanjiang River to debut in just 8 years. The first was the 902 foot high (275 mtr) Beipanjiang railway bridge which debuted in 2001 as the highest railway bridge in the world. The second was the Beipanjiang 2003 bridge on the Xingyi to Guiyang Highway which opened as the world’s highest bridge with a suspension span 1,200 feet (366 mtrs) above the river. The 3 bridges are spaced about 50 miles apart from each other. No other river on earth outside China has more than one high bridge over it .
It Cuts a huge swath from the northwest end of Guizhou Province to the southwest where it becomes the Hongshui he river at the border of Guangxi Province. The total height of 525 feet (160 mtrs), the tower is almost equal in height to the Mackinac bridge in Michigan. It also became the World’s Highest Railway bridge, toppling the quarter century record of the Mala Rijeka viaduct in Podgorica, Montenegro. In 2009, the Beipanjiang Railway Bridge Shuibai lost its highest arch title to another Chinese span, the 965 foot (294 mtr) high Zhijinghe road bridge. The 118 kilometer railway connects Liupanshui and Baiguo.

  1. Liuguanghe Bridge, China

Only the Beipanjiang River has a more spectacular group of high river crossings in China. The beautiful location spawned a temporary food vendor village on the Southeast side of the span sometime. Liuguanghe became the world’s highest bridge at 975 feet (297 mtrs). It is located near the city of Guiyang in China’s Western province of Guizhou, this 100 mile (161 km) stretch of 2-lane highway contains 2 suspension bridges, one 650 feet and one 550 feet high. as well as another concrete beam bridge 600 feet (183 mtr) high and two arches, 380 (116 mtr) and 360 feet (110 mtrs) high. The scale of the Liuguanghe bridge is not always evident from photographs until you realize that the main span of the bridge is 787 feet (240 mtrs) between piers – longer than any beam bridge span that has ever been built in the United States. The pier on the west side of the bridge is the tallest point of the structure standing 295 feet (90 meters) in height. Resting on top of the two piers is a single-cell box girder with a height of 44 feet (13.4 mtrs) over the piers and 13 1/2 feet (4.1 mtrs) at mid-span. On the northwest end of the bridge there is a temporary pullout along the shoulder to park. From there you can walk across the bridge and peer into the void over the 4 foot (1.5 mtr) high concrete barrier.
For those who may not be familiar with cantilevered concrete beam bridges, they are the most popular type of high bridge in China by far. Beam bridges are built by two formwork carriers that advance out from either side of the pier cap with the load balanced evenly on both sides. This has created a deadly cocktail with head-on collisions occurring on a weekly basis. The Liuguanghe arch also marks the upper end of the Wujiang Dam reservoir that extends just a few hundred meters further upstream of the crossing when the lake is at full level.

  1. Zhijinghe River Bridge, China

Zhijinghe River bridge is located about 50 miles (80 kms) south of the Yangtze River gorge in China’s mountainous Hubei Province, the Zhijinghe River bridge is the highest arch bridge in the world with a deck 965 feet (294 mtrs) in height, it surpassed the Beipanjiang Railway bridge by 40 feet (12 mtrs) and West Virginia’s New River Gorge bridge by 90 feet (27 mtrs). India’s Chenab River bridge will be higher when it opens sometime after 2015 but Zhijinghe will still retain the honor of highest roadway arch since Chenab is a railway bridge. Zhijinghe is also the world’s highest tunnel to tunnel bridge. The soaring red span is also impressive for its 1,411 foot (430 mtrs) length, ranking it among the world’s ten longest arches.
A major connection on the last 300 mile (483 km) link of the 1,350 mile (2,175 km) long West Hurong highway that now connects Shanghai on the Pacific coast with the cities of Chongqing and Chengdu in the west, the span is just one of many jaw-dropping high bridges along the Yichang-Enshi portion of the route including Siduhe, the highest bridge in the world and Longtanhe, the largest beam bridge viaduct on earth. Throw in 6 other bridges over 500 feet (150 mtrs) in height and you have the greatest stretch of bridge “high-way” in the world.
The type of steel truss arch used for the Zhijinghe bridge may look common but the Chinese have taken it one step further, developing it into a unique type of structure all its own. The eight large steel tubes that run along the underside of the Zhijinghe arch were initially hollow. Once the arch was closed, concrete was pumped into these tubes from the bottom up. First used by the Chinese in 1990, they have refined and improved the technique and now use it on the majority of their steel arch bridges. Depending on the length of the span and the width of the bridge, different styles of tubing are used. For Zhijinghe, they adopted an array of single tubes spaced apart from each other. Other configurations include dumbbells with two tubes closely connected, a mix of a dumbbell and single tubes such as was done on the Beipanjiang River Railway bridge or a tight cluster of tubes known as “multiple contiguous”. Once hardened, the concrete solidifies and stiffens the arch, improving the compressive strength of the entire structure.

  1. Royal Gorge Bridge, Colorado, United States

Height of 291 m (955 ft). The Royal Gorge Bridge is a tourist attraction within a theme park. The bridge deck crosses the Royal Gorge above the Arkansas River, and is located in the U.S. state of Colorado . The bridge is 1,260 feet (384 m) long It is the highest in the United States. YOU CAN WALK ACROSS THE BRIDGE OR GLIDE ACROSS IN AN AERIAL GONDOLA. A ONCE-AN-A-LIFETIME THRILL AWAITS ON THE CLOUDSCRAPER ZIPRIDER AND ROYAL RUSH SKYCOASTER. The bridge was the highest suspension bridge in the world with a roadway 955 feet (291 mtrs) above the Arkansas river. There will eventually be at least a dozen Chinese suspension bridges of greater height.
While the Royal Gorge bridge no longer holds any world records, this Rocky Mountain wonder of wire and wood is still the highest bridge in the United States and one of the most popular destinations in the state of Colorado with more than 500,000 visitors a year. Since its construction, the Royal Gorge has become much more than a bridge but an entire park that includes more than a dozen attractions that can keep you busy for an entire day.
Other attractions that have been added over the years include a miniature railroad, a carousel, a zoo, burro and wagon rides, a theater, a concert pavilion, a gift shop and visitors center and three eating places as well as the Royal Rush Skycoaster, a thrilling swing ride that threatens to throw you off into the gorge. Special events like“Go Fast! Games” that were held the last weekend in September during the mid-2000s where BASE jumpers from around the world converged on the bridge to leap off into the void of the Arkansas River canyon.
THERE ARE ATTRACTIONS AND ENTERTAINMENT FOR EVERY MEMBER OF THE FAMILY. No history of Royal Gorge would be complete without mentioning the railroad that has traveled through the bottom of the canyon in one form or another since 1879. IT IS ONE OF COLORADO’S MOST ICONIC NATURAL WONDERS.

  1. Beipanjiang River Railway Bridge, China

It is located southwest of the city of Liupanshui near the north end of China’s Guizhou province on the Shuibai Railway, the Beipanjiang railway bridge crosses an exceptionally deep gorge with vertical cliffs rising hundreds of feet from either side of the Beipan river.The 902 foot (275 meter) high Beipanjiang River railway bridge became the highest arch bridge on earth, unseating the 23-year old record long held by West Virginia’s New River Gorge bridge as well as being the second highest bridge of any kind in the world. It also became the World’s Highest Railway bridge, toppling the quarter century record of the Mala Rijeka viaduct in Podgorica, Montenegro.
The bridge was the first of what is now 4 Beipanjiang crossings to have been among the world’s 10 highest. The second was the Beipanjiang Guanxing highway bridge that opened in 2003 near Huajiang. The third came along in 2009 on the Guiyang to Kunming Hukun Expressway. Then in 2016 the Beipanjiang Bridge Duge opened with a World Record deck height of 564 meters. Most of these bridges are spaced about 50 miles apart from each other. No other river on earth outside China has more than one or two high bridges over it – the Beipanjiang has 8 with more to come!
The word Beipanjiang translates into North Winding River with the word “bei” meaning north and “pan” meaning winding. Cutting a huge swath from the northwest end of Guizhou Province to the southwest where it becomes the Hongshui he River at the border of Guangxi Province, the Beipanjiang River traverses through some of China’s most spectacular mountain gorges. The river remains the biggest obstacle between the city of Guiyang and the city of Kunming.
It is located north of Qinglong city, the Beipanjiang has always been Guizhou’s second greatest river after the Wujiang. Designed to carry trains that reach speeds of 250 kilometers an hour, the 721 meter long crossing has a main arch .

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