Renovation for Yangtze bridge in Nanjing
Print Edition
FEW bridges in China, or anywhere else, raise emotions like the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge.
Built in 1968, the bridge was hailed an engineering breakthrough and became the pride of the nation. It was the first modern bridge across the river to be wholly designed and built by Chinese talent and labor. School textbooks chronicle its construction.
On Friday night, a major renovation project began. The work is projected to take 27 months, and cost about 1.1 billion yuan (US$160 million). Hundreds of tourists have been arriving to take photos at the bridge before it changes forever.
“Decades ago, China was technologically isolated from developed countries. The bridge was highly symbolic of our national struggle and its completion raised the national spirit,” said Zhang Zhenshan, who worked on the construction 48 years ago.
“I get excited every time I cross the bridge,” said Wu Zifan, 28. “It was a truly great sight, with big ships crossing under the bridge, trains rumbling by and a never-ending stream of cars. One of my fondest memories was trying to count the side lamps along the bridge, but there were so many and it was easy to lose count.”
Years of heavy traffic have taken their toll on the bridge, said Chun Qing of Southeast University and one of the leaders of the project.
The bridge will be strengthened structurally. There are large cracks on the cement highway and along the rails. Ornamentation needs to be renovated and the drains also need to be repaired.
“We will try our best to retain the original look of the bridge,” said Chun.
While the bridge is closed, commuters will have to use ferries, the second Nanjing Yangtze bridge or tunnels below the river.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
