Major structure of Lancang River Bridge completed

The major structure of the Lancang River Bridge, one of the most complicated sections of the Dali-Ruili Railway in southwest China’s Yunnan province, was completed on June 28 following the pouring of the final batch of concrete.

The arch bridge over Lancang River, with a span of 528 meters, links Dali city in the east and Baoshan city in the west. The distance between the river surface and the bridge surface is 270 meters, the equivalent height of a 90-storey building.

85,000 cubic meters of concrete and 14,000 tons of rolled steel were required to build the major structure of the bridge, which will be the first in the world to adopt vertical rotating construction.

The bridge has three national technological invention patents. During the construction process, builders had to overcome a number of risks and technical challenges.

The Dali-Ruili Railway, with a total length of 330 kilometers, will shorten the travel time between Dali to Ruili from seven hours to three hours after its completion.