2024-07-05 21:22:25
With a height of 350 meters and a diamond-shaped structure with four towers, the Changtai Bridge, scheduled for completion next year, is set to connect the cities of Taizhou and Changzhou, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of Chinese engineering.
With a main span spanning 1,208 meters, the Changtai Bridge is the world’s largest dual-use cable-stayed bridge for road and railway, said Tian Jufang, general manager of the culture department of China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), which is in charge of the project.
Also, the two main towers, reaching a height of 350 meters each, are the tallest cable-stayed bridge towers under construction in the world, he said, during a meeting with African journalists, at the end of a visit organized as part of the “Travelogue of China” initiative.
Built on the third longest river in the world after the Amazon and the Nile with a total budget of more than three billion dollars, the Changtai Bridge represents a significant investment for the future of the region, he noted.
The massive infrastructure project is part of a long tradition of engineering in China, with the country renowned for its massive projects, including several of the world’s longest and highest bridges, such as the Hangzhou Bay Bridge and the Xihoumen River Bridge, he said.
Unlike other such infrastructure, Chinese bridges are often multifunctional, combining lanes for road vehicles, railways, and sometimes even pedestrians and cyclists. Cable-stayed bridges, such as the Changtai Bridge, are common in the country due to their efficiency and aesthetics.
The Changtai Bridge reinforces a dense network of bridges and tunnels spanning the Yangtze River. Currently, there are 40 bridges crossing the river, with about one bridge every 10 kilometers, Jufang said, adding that there are also 20 tunnels under the river, demonstrating the strategic importance of the route for regional connectivity.
In addition to its national projects, CCCC has also completed several cutting-edge infrastructure projects on the African continent, including the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway in Kenya, and the Sukhna Container Terminal in Egypt.
Organized by the China Public Diplomacy Association and China’s Global Times newspaper as part of the media exchange program of the China International Press and Communication Center (CIPCC), “Travelogue of China” is an initiative to promote China’s cultural and development potential.
2024-07-05 21:22:25