Aizhai Bridge 矮寨大桥 | |
---|---|
Coordinates | 28°19′52″N 109°35′51″E / 28.331°N 109.5974°E |
Carries | 4 lanes of G65 Baotou–Maoming Expressway |
Crosses | Dehang Grand Canyon (德夯大峡谷) |
Locale | Jishou |
Characteristics | |
Design | Suspension bridge |
Total length | 1,534 m (5,033 ft) |
Width | 24.5 m (80 ft) [1] |
Longest span | 1,176 m (3,858 ft) [1] |
Clearance below | 336 m (1,102 ft) |
History | |
Construction start | October 2007 |
Construction end | December 2011 |
Opened | 31 March 2012 |
Location | |
|
The Aizhai Bridge ( Chinese: 矮寨大桥) is a suspension bridge on the G65 Baotou–Maoming Expressway near Jishou, Hunan, China. The bridge was built as part of an expressway from southwest China's Chongqing Municipality to Changsha. [2]
The bridge is famous for the spectacular view it offers those crossing it. [3]
With a main span of 1,146 metres (3,760 ft) and a deck height of 336 metres (1,102 ft), [4] as of 2013 [update], it is the thirteenth-highest bridge in the world and the world's nineteenth-longest suspension bridge. Of the world's 400 or so highest bridges, none has a main span as long as Aizhai. [5] It is also the world's highest and longest tunnel-to-tunnel bridge. [6] The bridge contains 1888 lights to increase visibility at night. [7]
Construction on the Aizhai Bridge began in October 2007 and was completed by the end of 2011, ahead of schedule. [8] [9] The bridge was temporarily opened to pedestrians during the 2012 Spring Festival [9] and was formally opened to traffic in March 2012. [10]
The bridge was built with the assistance of a $208 million loan from the Asian Development Bank; the total project cost was $610 million, which included 64 kilometres (40 mi) of expressway construction (two thirds of which comprised bridge and tunnel) and upgrades to 129 kilometres (80 mi) of local roads. [11] The bridge and the associated road construction were projected to reduce the travel time between Jishou and Chadong from 4 hours to less than 1 hour. [11] [12]
In September 2012, the Aizhai Bridge was the site of an international BASE jumping festival that included more than 40 jumpers from 13 countries. [13] [14] [15]
On the Aizhai Bridge, drivers shoot out of a tunnel to cross a 1,165-foot-deep gorge and then whiz straight into another tunnel.