Difference between revisions of "Weijiazhou Bridge"

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(Created page with '<div style="font-size: 25px; text-align: center;"> Xixi Bridge<br /> 西溪大桥<br /> Linquan, Guizhou, China<br /> 715 feet high / 218 meters high<br /> 1,109 foot span / 338 …')
 
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Xixi Bridge<br />
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Weijiazhou Bridge<br />
西溪大桥<br />
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chinesename<br />
Linquan, Guizhou, China<br />
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Gaojiayan, Hubei, China<br />
715 feet high / 218 meters high<br />
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686 feet high / 209 meters high<br />
1,109 foot span / 338 meter span<br />
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656 foot span / 200 meter span<br />
2001<br />
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2009<br />
[[File:1XixiBridge.jpg|1000px|center]]
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[[File:Weji.jpg|1000px|center]]
 
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The Xixi suspension bridge is one of many high bridges along the incredible Guiyang-Bijie highway in China’s Guizhou Province. The road is best described as a museum of high Chinese bridges that also includes Liuguanghe, the highest beam bridge on earth.  This 100 mile (161 km) stretch of 2 lane highway contains another suspension bridge 600 feet (183 mtr) high as well as another concrete beam bridge 600 feet (183 mtr) high and two arches, 380 feet (116 mtr) and 360 feet (110 mtrs) highOutside of China, there is no other 100 mile (161 km) stretch of highway on earth to have so many high bridges.
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The first in an astonishing group of high bridges on the Yichang to Enshi portion of the West Hurongxi Highway, the Weijiazhou bridge opened in 2009 as one of China’s highest and most spectacular beam bridges.   Located near the city of Yichang, the bridge is near the beginning of a 300 mile (483 km) link of a 1,350 mile (2,175 km) long highway that now connects Shanghai on the Pacific coast with the cities of Chongqing and Chengdu in the west.  The 4-lane engineering marvel is home to Siduhe, the world’s highest suspension bridge and Zhijinghe, the highest roadway arch bridge in the world.  It also has more than half a dozen other bridges that exceed 500 feet (150 meters) in height including Mashuihe and Longtanhe, the world’s 2 highest beam bridge viaducts.  This more direct route bypasses one of the toughest and most mountainous stretches of the Yangtze riverWhat once took more than a day of travel on dangerous mountain roads or a Yangtze river boat can now be safely traversed in 5 hours.
 
 
The Xixi bridge was one of 4 medium sized suspension bridges that were designed and built in the same time period by the Major Bridge Reconnaissance Design Institute in Wuhan, Hubei, China.  The bridges all share common traits including an extremely thin 2 foot (.6 mtr) thick prestressed concrete slab deck and cable suspenders just 16 feet (5 mtrs) apart.  Since all 4 bridges were of similar length and in similar gorge settings, it was economical and efficient to design them at the same time.  The other 3 include the Beipanjiang 2003, Azhihe and Luojiaohe bridgesAll four are among the world’s 60 highest bridges.  Luojiaohe is also on the Guiyang-Bijie highway just a few miles (kilometers) west of Xixi bridge.
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The Weijiazhou bridge is very similar to the Yesanhe bridge located some 60 miles (100 kms) to the west on the same highwayBoth are continuous rigid-frame bridges with a main span of 656 feet (200 meters) across a precipitously deep canyon requiring one of the piers be situated on a slope of approximately 60 degrees.  For Weijiazhou, the piers extend 354 feet (108 meters) from the top of the foundation to the underside of the box girder.   
 
Xixi is most similar to Azhihe with an elevated side span on the east side of the bridge that leaves the cable anchorages about 100 feet (30 mtrs) below the level of the road deck.  The gorge itself is most spectacular on the west side where it drops vertically to the water for nearly its entire 540 foot (165 mtr) height.  Interestingly, a recently built dam just downstream of the bridge has created a reservoir below the bridgePrior to the dam’s construction, the bridge was over 700 feet (213 mtrs) high!
 
  
 
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[[File:Xixi_BridgeRedo.jpg|1000px|center]]<br />
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[[File:Wei.jpg|1000px|center]]<br />
Xixi Bridge Elevation<br />
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Weijiazhou Bridge Elevation<br />
 
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Revision as of 20:33, 3 October 2009

Weijiazhou Bridge
chinesename
Gaojiayan, Hubei, China
686 feet high / 209 meters high
656 foot span / 200 meter span
2009

The first in an astonishing group of high bridges on the Yichang to Enshi portion of the West Hurongxi Highway, the Weijiazhou bridge opened in 2009 as one of China’s highest and most spectacular beam bridges. Located near the city of Yichang, the bridge is near the beginning of a 300 mile (483 km) link of a 1,350 mile (2,175 km) long highway that now connects Shanghai on the Pacific coast with the cities of Chongqing and Chengdu in the west. The 4-lane engineering marvel is home to Siduhe, the world’s highest suspension bridge and Zhijinghe, the highest roadway arch bridge in the world. It also has more than half a dozen other bridges that exceed 500 feet (150 meters) in height including Mashuihe and Longtanhe, the world’s 2 highest beam bridge viaducts. This more direct route bypasses one of the toughest and most mountainous stretches of the Yangtze river. What once took more than a day of travel on dangerous mountain roads or a Yangtze river boat can now be safely traversed in 5 hours.

The Weijiazhou bridge is very similar to the Yesanhe bridge located some 60 miles (100 kms) to the west on the same highway. Both are continuous rigid-frame bridges with a main span of 656 feet (200 meters) across a precipitously deep canyon requiring one of the piers be situated on a slope of approximately 60 degrees. For Weijiazhou, the piers extend 354 feet (108 meters) from the top of the foundation to the underside of the box girder.


Weijiazhou Bridge Elevation


2XixiBridge.jpg

Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com


3XixiBridge.jpg

Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com