Wanzhou Yangtze River Railway Bridge

Wanzhou Yangtze River Railway Bridge
万州长江大桥
Wanzhou, Chongqing, China
328 feet high / 100 meters high
1,181 foot span / 360 meter span
2005

The amazing Yi-wan Railway opened in 2010 as the most difficult train line project ever undertaken in China. The Yichang to Enshi section of the railway bypasses the 3 Gorges stretch of the Yangtze River with a seemingly endless succession of tunnels and bridges. It is rare for any rail line in the world to have a single bridge over 280 feet (85 meters) high - the Yiwan Railway line has fifteen that exceed that height threshold!.

With more than 70 percent of the route either in a tunnel or on a bridge, the complex geology of the terrain forced the engineers to overcome landslides, falling rocks and steep terrain.

The 15 highest bridges include Wanzhou Yangtze, Shuangliu, Sibuhe, Yeyabang, Zhoubadeng, Dukouhe, Yaojiawan, Makou, Mashuihe, Longwangmiao, Yesanhe, Yexihe, Zhaojialing, Shizikou and Luobuxi Bridges.

One of Western China's longest railway arches, the Wanzhou Yangtze River crossing is the first point upstream of the 3 Gorges Dam that a train can cross the river and easternmost high bridge along the Yiwan Railway line. With half of its height hidden under the deep waters of the 3 Gorges reservoir, the Wanzhou span looks less impressive for its height then for the large central span of 360 meters.

The deep channel of the river and the height of the arch necessitated the use of two cantilevered travelers that rode on the top of the arch trusses as they were erected outward over the river. The prestressed continuous box approach spans are 46.5 +46 +50 +50.85 meters on the east shore and 43.2 +3 × 42.7 +43.2 meters on the west side with the central spans measuring 168.7 +360 +168.7 meters.