Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge to reopen by year's end

Workers have labored for 27 months to renovate the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge, China's first self-designed road and rail truss bridge constructed by the nation, will reopen by the end of the year after 27 months of renovation.

The 4,589-meter-long bridge, built in 1968, is one of the country's places of interest. It has become the symbol of a collective memory for many Chinese.

The bridge made it into the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest bridge with dual highway and railway functions in 1960. In 2014, it was listed as one of the Immovable Cultural Relics under State protection designated by the State Council.

In October 2016, the bridge closed for renovation after serving the public for almost 50 years.

During the 27 months of renovation, Liu Xiaoguang and Xue Xiaohong, two photographers in Nanjing, visited the bridge every three or four days to record its changing look, the result of hard work by the construction workers.