-- On August 5th, as the final pour of C55 high-performance concrete was completed into the top of the tower, the main pylon for the Shanghai-Chongqing-Chengdu High-Speed Railway cable-stayed bridge over the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal was successfully topped out. Constructed by China Railway Construction Bridge Engineering Bureau Group Co., Ltd., this milestone marks the completion of the bridge's core support structure. The project now fully transitions into the next phase of installing steel girders and stay cables, laying a solid foundation for the railway's scheduled 2027 opening.
The Tongtaiyang Grand Bridge, part of the Shanghai-Chongqing-Chengdu HSR line, is currently the world's longest high-speed railway bridge under construction, spanning 172.9 kilometers across the cities of Nantong, Taizhou, and Yangzhou. The newly topped-out cable-stayed bridge crosses the centuries-old golden waterway, the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, within Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province. To minimize disruption to the canal's busy shipping traffic, the main bridge features an innovative steel-concrete composite twin-tower cable-stayed design.
The bridge over the Grand Canal is 564.3 meters long with a main span of 300 meters. Each H-shaped tower stands 128 meters tall, equivalent to a 45-story building. Constructed in 24 segments using intelligent hydraulic climbing formwork, this method boosted construction efficiency by 40%. The complex construction process involved significant technical challenges, stringent quality control, and numerous large-scale construction machines, making it a critical control point for the entire project. After 238 days of round-the-clock effort, the towers were completed with verticality and alignment deviations exceeding specification requirements, achieving millimeter-level precision. This provides a reliable foundation for the upcoming cable installation and steel girder erection.
"Topping out the main towers isn't just structural completion; it marks a milestone in overcoming technical hurdles," said Li Bingfeng, project manager from the contractor, CRCC Major Bridge Engineering Group Co., Ltd. The next phase involves installing 28 pairs of stay cables and erecting the steel girders, with the entire bridge closure expected by December 2025. Upon completion, this "Gateway to the Canal" will become a vital node in the Yangtze River Delta's HSR network, characterized by its twin-tower design providing balanced force distribution and excellent wind and seismic resistance.
The Shanghai-Chongqing-Chengdu HSR is a key component of China's "Eight Vertical and Eight Horizontal" national high-speed rail network. Complementing the Yangtze River's golden waterway, the approximately 2,100-kilometer line passes through Shanghai, Jiangsu, Anhui, Hubei, Chongqing, and Sichuan, designed for speeds of 350 km/h. Once operational, it will be crucial for developing a "Rail-based Yangtze River Delta," optimizing the railway network along the Yangtze River region, supporting the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and advancing integrated high-quality development within the Delta.
China Railway Construction Bridge Engineering Bureau Group Co.,Ltd.
Yang Yu, Zhang Xiaoqian
Contact Info:
Name: Li Bing
Email: Send Email
Organization: China Railway Construction Bridge Engineering Bureau Group Co.,Ltd.
Website: http://cr13g.crcc.cn/
Release ID: 89166452
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