World’s Largest Cable-Stayed Bridge Achieves Full Connectivity in East China

World's Largest Cable-Stayed Bridge Achieves Full Connectivity in East China

Jiangsu Province, The Gulf Observer: The Changtai Yangtze River Bridge, the world’s largest span cable-stayed bridge, achieved full connectivity on Sunday in east China’s Jiangsu Province. This engineering marvel is slated to open to traffic by the end of next April.

Spanning the Yangtze River, the world’s third-longest river, the bridge connects the cities of Changzhou and Taizhou. It is the first cross-river facility to integrate highway, intercity railway, and ordinary roads, marking a significant milestone in infrastructure development.

After five years of construction, the Changtai Yangtze River Bridge extends over 10.3 kilometers, including 5.3 kilometers dedicated to road and rail sections. The bridge features a main span of 1,208 meters, making it a steel truss cable-stayed bridge of unprecedented scale. Additionally, it includes two steel truss arch bridges, each with a main span of 388 meters, and a continuous steel truss bridge spanning 3×124 meters. These components collectively set multiple world records, exemplifying engineering excellence.

The precise closure of the main girder, achieved with a margin of error less than 2 millimeters, underscores the construction team’s meticulous techniques. This precision was attained through adjusting the main beam’s longitudinal displacement, regulating cable tension to eliminate height discrepancies, and using temporary load movement on the bridge face. These methods ensured consistent elevation and rotation angles for the steel trusses on both sides, resulting in a maximum deviation of just 2 millimeters.

Li Haifeng, deputy head at the construction site, reported to China Media Group (CMG) that the team will now focus on constructing ancillary facilities. “The bridge is expected to pass the dynamic and static load testing and acceptance test by the end of next April, when the bridge will be ready to open to traffic,” he stated.

Upon completion, the Changtai Yangtze River Bridge will significantly enhance the regional road network, promoting coordinated development within the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration. This vital infrastructure project also supports key national initiatives, including the Belt and Road Initiative, the Yangtze River Economic Belt development, and the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, according to the construction team, CMG reported.