The successful installation Tuesday morning of the last steel bridge deck of the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge means that the main bridge construction has been completed. The bridge has been closed for maintenance and repair since last year.
The first steel bridge deck of the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge was installed on September 27 last year. With the installation of the 400th steel deck panel in place Tuesday, the deck of the Yangtze River Bridge was successfully closed. The overall weight of the new bridge deck is lighter than before and ride comfort is enhanced.
The construction workers will dismantle the railway protection scaffolds at the time when no trains pass through the bridge. At the same time, new repair work will be launched on bridgehead sculptures, bridge bas-reliefs, and magnolia lampposts. Since the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge is an immovable cultural relic, construction workers will follow the principles of minimal intervention with no changes to the original status of the bridge.
The bridge repairs and the installation of the entire bridge electromechanical and lighting system are expected to be completed in October this year. The asphalt bridge deck will be completed in November to be ready for delivery on schedule by the end of the year. After opening to traffic, a set of real-time monitoring equipment will be used to continuously monitor climate conditions, temperature and humidity, and the condition of the bridge's stress.
Built during China's tumultuous Cultural Revolution, the double-decked Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge was considered groundbreaking when it was unveiled in 1968. More importantly, as the longest bridge with the dual functions of highway and railway listed in the Guinness Book of World Records, it is the first bridge in China solely designed and constructed without help from foreign architects. The major repairs got underway last year for the bridge’s 50th anniversary.
（Source: Jiangsu International Channel)
