Another leap for the Chinese advances into the modern world, as it spends billions of dollars on infrastructure projects ahead of the 2010 World Exposition, including bridges, tunnels, roads and massive extension of its subway network, where they finally have opened the world’s longest steel-arched bridge during a ceremony in the commercial capital Shanghai, featured the Chinese NBA basket player Yao Ming, leading the first group to run across the bridge during the opening ceremony.
Just north of the new Lupu Bridge is the ($302 million) – (3.9km/ 2.4 miles) Nanpu Bridge which crosses the Huangpu River. The new bridge will help to reduce congestion of this bridge. The proposed next world fair will occupy a large site between this bridge and the new Lupu Bridge, on both side of the Huangpu River.
The bridge is built from steel and its 550-metre (1.800-ft) arch has broken the old record in length that used to be for the previous record holder, the New River Gorge Bridge in the US state of West Virginia.
The bridge is made of more than 35.000 tons of steel and the main arch is made up of 27 sections, completed in just two years and nine months, the “rainbow” over the river was not only a miracle of speed, but is also of a high international standard, according to the civil engineering administration.
The bridge is able to endure a 12-force typhoon and an earthquake measuring seven on the Richter scale. The road surface of the 750 meter long main bridge is 7.5 centimeters thick with eight different layers.
Visitors can enjoy a remarkable view of the river, as they can climb from the road surface of the main bridge up the arch to the top which is 110 meters above the river.
Source: chinadaily.com
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