The longest single span suspension bridge in the world

China The 798-meter-long Lvzhijiang Suspension Bridge between two steep cliffs in Yunnan will open to traffic at the end of next month.

The Lvzhijiang Suspension Bridge spans the river valley.

Stretching 798 meters across a river valley, the complexity of the Lvzhijiang Bridge makes it an engineering wonder. The bridge hangs above the Lvzhijiang River and juts out from the tunnel on the steep mountain face on either side of the valley. According to the Chinese authorities, the bridge broke several world records.

Built on a V-shaped valley in the mountains, it is the world's longest single-span suspension bridge with a single pylon and no other supporting columns. Authorities said the span of the bridge is 780 meters long. In addition, the bridge also has the steepest cable anchorage in the world, at an angle of 54 degrees.

Due to the rough terrain of the area, all the main supports including the 156 m high pylon, the concrete slab leading to the bridge and the cable anchorage were built on the slope. The project manager shares the height difference between the bridge deck and the 320 m high assembly yard, equivalent to 100 floors. Few buildings in China have such complexity.

The bridge will greatly shorten the travel time between Yuxi City and Yi Chuxiong Autonomous Region of Yunnan. The maximum speed limit on the bridge is 100 km/h. Starting construction in 2019, the project took 4 years to complete. As expected, the bridge will be open to traffic at the end of April 2022. Both Yuxi and Yichuxiong Autonomous Prefecture are located in central Yunnan province, between major cities such as Kunming and Dali.

The Lvzhijiang Bridge is an important part of the 190-kilometer Yuchu Expressway and the 9,000-long Yunnan Expressway network. The Yuchu Expressway connects Yunnan with other important national roads such as the Hengzhou - Ruili and Guangzhou - Kunming routes.