Liuguanghe Bridge

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Liuguanghe Bridge
Chinesnamm
Liuguang, Guizhou, China
974 feet high / 292 meters high
787 foot span / 240 meter span
2001
World's Highest Bridge 2001-2003

1LiuguangheBridge.jpg


Liuguanghe entered the record books in 2001 when it became the world’s highest bridge at 974 feet (297 mtrs), toppling the 72 year old record long held by Colorado’s 955 foot (291 mtr) high Royal Gorge bridge. Even though Liuguanghe’s record would stand for just two years, it will always have the distinction of being the only beam bridge in history that held the top spot among high bridges. The decision not to use an arch or a suspension bridge was probably motivated by the deep height of the gorge where the tall piers of a prestressed concrete beam bridge would be easier to construct since the two sides of the bridge could be cantilevered outward without any temporary cable stays or highlines.

The Liuguanghe bridge is the crown jewel in a highway that is best described as a museum of high Chinese bridges. Located near the city of Guiyang in China’s Western province of Guizhou, this 100 mile (161 km) stretch of 2-lane highway contains 2 suspension bridges, one 650 feet (198 mtr) and one 550 feet (168 mtr) high as well as another concrete beam bridge 600 feet (183 mtr) high and two arches, 380 (116 mtr) and 360 feet (110 mtrs) high. Outside of China, there is no other 100 mile (161 km) stretch of highway on earth to have so many high bridges. Although Liuguanghe is named after a nearby town, the bridge actually crosses the upper end of the Wujiang river, a large tributary of the Yangtze that has 3 of China’s highest bridges including the massive concrete beam bridge viaduct at the city of Wujiang as well as the breathtaking Jiangjiehe arch bridge. The total bridge count reaches 5 if you include the Ganxigou and Yanxigou bridges located on tributaries just off the Wujiang. Only the Beipanjiang River has a more spectacular group of high river crossings in China.

The scale of the Liuguanghe bridge is not always evident from photographs until you realize that the main span of the bridge is 787 feet (240 mtrs) between piers - longer than any beam bridge span that has ever been built in the United States. The pier on the west side of the bridge is the tallest point of the structure standing 295 feet (90 meters) in height. Resting on top of the two piers is a single-cell box girder with a height of 44 feet (13.4 mtrs) over the piers and 13 1/2 feet (4.1 mtrs) at mid-span. On the northwest end of the bridge there is a temporary pullout along the shoulder to park. From there you can walk across the bridge and peer into the void over the 4 foot (1.5 mtr) high concrete barrier.