Ranked as No. 1 and presented with the Supreme Award for Structural Engineering Excellence by the institution of Structural Engineers, the Taizhou Bridge is recognized as the finest example of structural engineering.
This US$1.5-billion (RMB$9.35-billion) bridge project is the world’s first long-span suspension bridge. It crosses the Yangtze River and connects the cities of Taizhou, Yangzhou, Zhenjiang and Changzhou in Jiangsu Province, China. Taizhou Bridge is part of a new 39-mile (63-kilometer) freeway.
Five new world records were pioneered in this project:
• The first long-span suspension bridge with three pylons and two main spans of 1,080 meters carrying six lanes of traffic
• The longest suspension cable with two 3,110-meter-long main cables
• The tallest central pylon with a height of 200 meters
• The deepest underwater bridge caisson foundation for the central pylon
• Concurrent erection of suspension deck girder in the two main spans
This engineering wonder is an extraordinary achievement which helped to minimize impact on river hydraulics and ecology by reducing the number of bridge supports in the water and by providing two main navigation channels to make ship movements possible. The innovation pushed the frontiers of suspension bridge technology to new heights. It lays out an excellent model for the future development of long-span bridges across the world.
