The Dongshuimen Yangtze River Bridge (东水门长江大桥) is a remarkable engineering marvel and a prominent landmark in the city of Chongqing, China. This bridge serves as a vital river-crossing connection between the Yuzhong District and Nan’an District, spanning the mighty Yangtze River. It is a dual-purpose bridge, accommodating both road and rail traffic, and holds great significance as a major transportation artery and iconic urban landmark. Alongside the Qiansimen Jialing River Bridge, it is collectively referred to as the “Chongqing Twin Rivers Bridges.”
History of the Bridge
Construction of the Dongshuimen Yangtze River Bridge commenced on December 29, 2009, and reached a significant milestone when its sections were joined on February 2013. It underwent final inspection and acceptance on March 26, 2014, and was officially opened to traffic on March 31, 2014.
Statistics of the Bridge
The bridge’s northern terminus is at Da Tong Street in Yuzhong District’s Xiaoshizi, while its southern end connects to Tushan Road on Shangxin Street in Nan’an District. The total length of the bridge is 1,124 meters, with the main bridge spanning approximately 858 meters. The upper deck of the bridge features four lanes of two-way urban expressway, designed for a speed of 40 kilometers per hour, while the lower deck accommodates two urban rail transit lines designed for a speed of 60 kilometers per hour.
Design of the Bridge
The Dongshuimen Yangtze River Bridge is a stunning cable-stayed bridge with a unique design. Its main towers are constructed in a distinctive spatial curved shape, with a smooth, rounded profile, creating a one-of-a-kind visual effect. To ensure unobstructed views of the cityscape, the bridge was designed with a generous “navigational clearance,” allowing large cargo ships to pass beneath it on the Yangtze River.
Achievements
This bridge stands out as the world’s first cable-stayed bridge to adopt the “cable anchor beam” structural system. It set several records upon its completion:
- In the category of “road and rail” bridges, both the Dongshuimen Yangtze River Bridge and the Qiansimen Jialing River Bridge boast the world’s longest spans, making them the first “twin bridges” of their kind in the world.
- The cable anchor beam structure used in this bridge was a groundbreaking innovation.
- The cable tower anchor weight of this bridge was the heaviest in the world.
- It employed a unique “sparse cable” design, with only 36 inclined cables in the entire bridge, each consisting of 139 parallel steel strands. The total weight of the cables set a world record.
- The large-tonnage bearings used at the base of the main bridge towers utilized a “bull’s leg support” method, which was also a world-first.
