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Bridges over Chongming
January 17, 2009, Saturday
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CHONGMING County is in a race against time to repair or reconstruct bridges now deemed dangerous as they were built decades ago. Nie Xin reports
Chongming County is a place of rivers and boats. There are about 30 main rivers passing though the island county and plenty of bridges spanning the rivers. Most of the them were built during the 1960s, 70s and 80s. Due to construction technology at the time, those bridges are mostly narrow and in need of improvement.
With the development of society and the economy, the amount of cars has increased rapidly and these bridges need to be upgraded. Boats have frequently collided into most bridges in Chongming and as a result, many need urgent reconstruction or repair.
Since the early 1990s, the government of Chongming County started to inspect bridges for signs of danger. In the 1990s, the county's bridge reconstruction fund was about 1 million yuan (US$143,000) every year. The fund increased to an average of 16 million yuan every year since 2000.
Last year, the Chongming Water Affairs Bureau reconstructed 12 bridges and repaired another five at a cost of more than 25 million yuan.
In December, reconstruction started on 10 other dangerous bridges along the South Hengyin River.
"This work was scheduled to start this year with a total investment of 38 million yuan, but we pushed them forward in order to coincide with the ongoing project of improving the South Hengyin River," says Gu Peihong of the Chongming Water Affairs Bureau.
Although the reconstruction is necessary and vital to the safety of residents, these projects cause a lot of inconvenience to people.
"When the bridge is being repaired, it cannot be used and we have to take a detour," says Wang Rongwei, a resident on Chongming Island. "Plus the noise is very annoying during construction."
Sometimes a bridge was being repaired closed to a villager's home. The family was often afraid that the shaking caused by reconstruction work would damage their house. Thus, villagers would oppose the project.
"That will not happen again," says Gu. "The reconstruction of bridges in 2008 was based on a 'people-oriented' principle."
In order not to inconvenience residents, a temporary bridge is built before reconstruction of the original span starts.
For example, there is a two-meter-wide temporary bridge next to Yongjin Bridge that is being reconstructed in Xinhe Town. The temporary bridge was built at a cost of 30,000 yuan.
"We can use the temporary bridge while Yongjin Bridge is being repaired. It works great and I have no trouble now," says Chen Yonghui, a regular user of the bridge.
Technology changes have allowed workers to reduce construction noise since 2007.
Today, workers use hole-drilled, poured piles to reconstruct the base of a bridge as opposed to driving concrete square piles, Gu says.
The new technology causes much less shaking and noise.
"Our most important principle during construction is to not disturb people" adds Gu.
The new bridges have balustrades and pillars with luminous paint to ensure safety for drivers at night.
Chongming County is a place of rivers and boats. There are about 30 main rivers passing though the island county and plenty of bridges spanning the rivers. Most of the them were built during the 1960s, 70s and 80s. Due to construction technology at the time, those bridges are mostly narrow and in need of improvement.
With the development of society and the economy, the amount of cars has increased rapidly and these bridges need to be upgraded. Boats have frequently collided into most bridges in Chongming and as a result, many need urgent reconstruction or repair.
Since the early 1990s, the government of Chongming County started to inspect bridges for signs of danger. In the 1990s, the county's bridge reconstruction fund was about 1 million yuan (US$143,000) every year. The fund increased to an average of 16 million yuan every year since 2000.
Last year, the Chongming Water Affairs Bureau reconstructed 12 bridges and repaired another five at a cost of more than 25 million yuan.
In December, reconstruction started on 10 other dangerous bridges along the South Hengyin River.
"This work was scheduled to start this year with a total investment of 38 million yuan, but we pushed them forward in order to coincide with the ongoing project of improving the South Hengyin River," says Gu Peihong of the Chongming Water Affairs Bureau.
Although the reconstruction is necessary and vital to the safety of residents, these projects cause a lot of inconvenience to people.
"When the bridge is being repaired, it cannot be used and we have to take a detour," says Wang Rongwei, a resident on Chongming Island. "Plus the noise is very annoying during construction."
Sometimes a bridge was being repaired closed to a villager's home. The family was often afraid that the shaking caused by reconstruction work would damage their house. Thus, villagers would oppose the project.
"That will not happen again," says Gu. "The reconstruction of bridges in 2008 was based on a 'people-oriented' principle."
In order not to inconvenience residents, a temporary bridge is built before reconstruction of the original span starts.
For example, there is a two-meter-wide temporary bridge next to Yongjin Bridge that is being reconstructed in Xinhe Town. The temporary bridge was built at a cost of 30,000 yuan.
"We can use the temporary bridge while Yongjin Bridge is being repaired. It works great and I have no trouble now," says Chen Yonghui, a regular user of the bridge.
Technology changes have allowed workers to reduce construction noise since 2007.
Today, workers use hole-drilled, poured piles to reconstruct the base of a bridge as opposed to driving concrete square piles, Gu says.
The new technology causes much less shaking and noise.
"Our most important principle during construction is to not disturb people" adds Gu.
The new bridges have balustrades and pillars with luminous paint to ensure safety for drivers at night.
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