After more than 630 days of intensive construction, the southern tower of the southern channel of Zhangjinggao Yangtze River Bridge, the world's tallest suspension bridge, was topped out on Dec 1.
With this, the main structures of the bridge's four towers are now fully finished, marking the shift from constructing the lower parts to the upper parts of the bridge.
The towers of the Zhangjinggao Yangtze River Bridge, the world's tallest suspension bridge. [Photo/WeChat account: zhangjiagangfabu365]
The southern tower of the southern channel bridge is the only tower located in the river among the four main towers of the Zhangjinggao Yangtze River Bridge. The tower used 34,000 metric tons of steel, which is equivalent to the steel used in 4.6 Eiffel Towers. To ensure stability in the soft soil of the Yangtze River, it employs a world-first steel box-concrete-encased composite system.
The Zhangjinggao Yangtze River Bridge stretches about 30 kilometers and is currently the largest span bridge in the world under construction. The southern channel bridge, measuring 2,300 meters in total length, also marks the first time a Chinese bridge has surpassed the 2,000-meter span milestone.
The bridge is expected to be completed in 2028. Once completed, it is expected to significantly reduce travel times between Zhangjiagang in Suzhou, Jingjiang in Taizhou, and Rugao in Nantong, enhancing the integration of the Yangtze River Delta region.