Arches joined on world's longest-span railway arch bridge

The arches of the Hongshui River Railway Bridge, a key link in a new railway connecting Guizhou province and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, are joined on Tuesday morning. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The arches of the Hongshui River Railway Bridge, a key link in a new railway connecting Guizhou province and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, were joined Tuesday morning.

The kilometer-long bridge spans the boundary between the two regions and features a 570-meter main span supported by a reinforced-concrete arch. Once completed, it is set to have the longest span of any railway-dedicated arch bridge in the world.

The arches of the Hongshui River Railway Bridge, a key link in a new railway connecting Guizhou province and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, are joined on Tuesday morning. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The bridge's design was shaped in part by the rugged terrain at the site, said Hu Shan, chief engineer of the project. Steep mountains rise on both sides of the river, making construction particularly challenging. A long-span cable-stayed or suspension bridge would require very tall towers, while a suspension bridge would also need massive anchor blocks, Hu said. Those designs would increase construction costs and cause greater disruption to the surrounding mountain terrain.

The bridge is part of the 315-kilometer Huangtong-Baise Railway, which will link Huangtong in Guizhou with Baise in Guangxi. The line is expected to provide a convenient rail link from southwestern Guizhou to the Beibu Gulf, while supporting the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor and regional economic development.

The arches of the Hongshui River Railway Bridge, a key link in a new railway connecting Guizhou province and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, are joined on Tuesday morning. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The arches of the Hongshui River Railway Bridge, a key link in a new railway connecting Guizhou province and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, are joined on Tuesday morning. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The arches of the Hongshui River Railway Bridge, a key link in a new railway connecting Guizhou province and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, are joined on Tuesday morning. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]