China boasts an abundance of mountains and rivers, and bridges play a crucial role in connecting cities and reducing transportation time. These structures are not only vital for social and economic development but also serve as engineering marvels.
One such example is the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB), a 55-kilometer-long super-project that connects Hong Kong, Zhuhai, and Macau. The bridge starts from the artificial island of the Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities in the east, crosses the South China Sea in the west, and terminates at the Hongwan Interchange in Zhuhai.
The HZMB is of strategic importance in promoting the further economic development of Hong Kong, Macau, and the west bank of the Pearl River Delta. It was awarded the Luban Award for China's engineering and construction due to its unprecedented construction difficulty and first-class construction technology.
Another impressive bridge is the Yangtze River Bridge, which has an overall length of 11 kilometers. The upper part of the bridge is built according to the highway standard and can be used for six lanes of traffic in both directions. The bridge's most striking feature is its technical complexity, with a span of 1,092 meters due to the spacious river surface of the Yangtze River basin.
The bridge uses the design scheme of a suspension bridge, with two towers on either side of the Yangtze River, and the middle of the 1,700-meter-long bridge without any piers for support, creating a spectacular sight.
The design also provides a channel for ships to navigate under the bridge, avoiding the need to build piers and protecting the local aquatic life and precious plant and animal species, such as the finless porpoise.
Lastly, the Beipanjiang River Bridge, also known as the highest bridge across a river in the world, spans the famous Beipan River Gorge at a height of 565 meters. The construction of the bridge, which spans a karst landscape, took a whole year for the related inspection and three years for construction due to the difficulty of driving fixed piles in the limestone mountains and avoiding the caves and cracks.
The bridge's height was chosen to avoid problems with construction and provide the best possible living environment for the local aquatic life.
Another notable bridge in China is the Sutong Yangtze River Bridge, which connects the cities of Nantong and Suzhou in Jiangsu province. This cable-stayed bridge is one of the longest in the world, with a main span of 1,088 meters.
The bridge's design features two pylons that are over 300 meters tall, making them some of the tallest bridge pylons in the world. The Sutong Yangtze River Bridge was completed in 2008 and has greatly improved transportation and economic development in the region.
In conclusion, China has an impressive array of bridges that showcase the country's engineering prowess and dedication to improving transportation and economic development.
These bridges, including the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the Yangtze River Bridge, the Beipanjiang River Bridge, and the Sutong Yangtze River Bridge, are not only functional but also serve as architectural marvels. They are a testament to human ingenuity and the ability to connect communities through the power of engineering.
