China Opens World’s Longest Cable-Stayed Bridge Between Changzhou and Taizhou
In Jiangsu Province in eastern China, the Chantai-Yangtze Bridge has opened to traffic and is recognized as the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world. The bridge has reduced travel time between the cities of Changzhou and Taizhou from over an hour to just 20 minutes.
The bridge spans 10.3 kilometers, with a main span of 1,208 meters. Its design integrates a high-speed highway, a regular road, and an intercity railway, according to the South China Morning Post.
Construction took six years. The bridge has set several world records: it is the longest cable-stayed bridge by main span, the longest combined arch bridge with automobile-rail steel trusses, and features the longest continuous system of steel truss beams.
The bridge towers reach a height of 350 meters, comparable to a 120-story building. The diamond-shaped towers are made of steel and concrete for stability and flexibility under temperature fluctuations. The foundation has been reinforced to withstand the strong current of the Yangtze River, the third-longest river in the world.
The Chantai-Yangtze Bridge is part of China’s transportation infrastructure modernization program, aimed at accelerating transport and supporting economic development along the Yangtze River.
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