The Yangtze River Bridge, which was constructed between 1960 and
1968, is the third bridge built to span the Yangtze River after
the Wuhan Yangtze River
Bridge and the Baishatuo Yangtze River Bridge (in Chongqing
City). As the longest bridge with the dual functions of highway
and railway listed in the Guinness Book of World Records, it is
the first bridge in China solely designed and constructed by Chinese.
The significant double-deck construction is made up of the main
bridge portion which spans 1,577 meters (about 1,725 yards) and
the bridge approach which measures 3,012 meters (about 3,294 yards).
The upper deck of the bridge is a highway with a span of 4,589 meters
(about 5,019 yards). There are sidewalks on either side of the highway
and each measures over two meters (about two yards) in width. The
lower deck holds a twin-track railway with a length of 6,772 meters
(about 7,406 yards) and a width of 14 meters (about 15 yards) that
allows two trains to run in different directions.
The bridge has nine piers altogether, among which the tallest one
is 85 meters (about 279 feet) with the base area of about 400 square
meters (478 square yards), larger than a basketball court. There
are 200 cast iron reliefs inlayed on the banisters on the two sides
of the highway as well as 150 pairs of street lamps along the sidewalks
on the main section of the bridge. Two bridge towers are located
respectively at each end of the bridge each with a height of 70
meters (about 230 feet). They contain elevators which enable personal
access to both decks of the bridge as well as the watchtowers. Under
the southern bridge tower there is a beautiful park.
The bridge at night is extremely charming. The illumination of
1,024 floodlights on the banisters, 540 halogen lights on the
bridge towers and 150 pairs of lamps of the sidewalks make the
bridge look like a pearl string lying on the Yangtze
River.
The completion of the bridge has reduced the river crossing time
from about two hours by ferry to the course of only several minutes,
which is much more convenient for communication between the two
banks of the Yangtze River.
Transportation tips:
Bus No. 12, 15, 67, 69, 307 can take you to the Bridge Park.