China Completes Main Structure of Largest Natural Gas Suspension Bridge

(Reuters/CCTV+) — The main structure of China's largest span and loading capability suspension bridge was completed Saturday in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. The bridge will be used to transport natural gas after completion. 

Located in Fuling District, the bridge is 467.8 meters (1,534 feet) long, with a main span of 355 (1,165 feet) meters. No pier was built in the river, making the bridge 85 meters (280 feet) above the river.

"Next we will focus on a series of tasks, including high temperature prevention, flood prevention, aerial work and hoisting work to make sure that our bridge which cross the Wujiang River will finish construction by the end of September," Wei Lianyu, project manager of Wujiang suspension bridge of China Railway 18th Bureau Group Co., Ltd.

The bridge was designed to hold a natural gas pipeline, sewer pipeline and casing pipe of optical fiber cable. The maximum loading capacity of the bridge will reach 1,008 tons, topping the list of Chinese bridges in terms of capability and suspension span.

"After (being) put into service, the pipes will be capable of transporting 4 billion cubic meters (141 billion cubic feet). The downstream of the pipe will connect with Wangchang gas pipeline in Fuling, then the gas will pass through the pipes from Sichuan to east China, transferring shale gas of Sinopec from (the) southern part of Sichuan to central and east China areas and providing clean energy for economic zones along (the) Yangtze River," said Luo Yiming, general manager of Sinopec Chongqing Natural Gas Pipeline Co., Ltd.

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