Wanxian Bridge | |
Native Name: | 万州长江公路大桥 |
Native Name Lang: | zh |
Carries: | China National Highway 318 |
Crosses: | Yangtze River |
Locale: | Wanzhou, Chongqing, China |
Design: | Arch Bridge |
Material: | Concrete |
Open: | 1997 |
Coordinates: | 30.7596°N 108.4193°W |
Wanxian Bridge, or Wanzhou Bridge, is a reinforced concrete arch bridge built over the Yangtze River in 1997. It is located in the vicinity of the Three Gorges Dam in Wanzhou, Chongqing, China. The arch span is and the total length of the bridge is . The clearance height to the river below is 133m (436feet) however the full clearance is no longer visible as the reservoir created by the construction of the Three Gorges Dam has increased the height of the water.[1] During the bridge construction, a concrete-filled tubular arch truss frame was built to support the weight of the concrete arch and embedded into the concrete arch.
The Wanxian Bridge is the longest existing concrete arch bridge in the world, displacing the previous record holder, the Croatian Krk Bridge.[2] It is a major highway bridge with lanes for vehicles and pedestrians.[3]