Tiantanghe Bridge

Tiantanghe Bridge
天堂河特大桥
Gulin, Sichuan, China
558 feet high / 170 meters high
814 foot span / 248 meter span
2018

Tiantanghe is one of 4 towering beam bridges on the 70 kilometer Xugu expressway that connects the city of Xuyong on the G76 with the city of Gulin and eventually the Chishui River gorge where it will connect with the Renchi expressway in Guizhou. Construction on the second phase of the expressway in Guizhou will not start until 2017 and will include a giant suspension bridge more then 300 meters high across the Chishui River.

Tiantanghe is impressive for having a central beam span of 248 meters supported on piers as tall as 110 meters with a configuration of 130+248+130 meters. Western China has many high bridges with beam spans over 200 meters but rarely do they exceed 240 meters like Tiantanghe Bridge. The crossing is located about 35 kilometers east of Gulin city.

Other high bridges on the expressway include the Luosizhai, Shilianghe, Modaoxi, two crossings of the Gulin River and the giant Chishuihe Bridge Chajiaotan.