High-speed rail bridge aims to break six world records

Construction is underway in China on a high-speed rail bridge that aims to break six world records upon completion.

The Nanchang Yangtze Island Ganjiang River Bridge, which spans 19 kilometers (11.8 miles) from north to south, will allow transportation by road and train, integrating high-speed rail, an expressway and an urban main road.

The bridge is part of the Nanchang-Jiujiang high-speed railway, which spans about 86 miles, with bridges and tunnels comprising 82 percent of the line.

When completed, China Railway Major Bridge Engineering Group, the developer behind the project, expects the west main bridge to set six world records, which are:

1. The world’s first rail-cum-road bridge with the highest number of lanes (12) and the greatest traffic capacity.
2. The world’s first cable-stayed bridge with a 320-meter (1,050-foot) main span designed for a speed of 350 kmh (217 mph).
3. The world’s first cable-stayed bridge with a harp-shaped cable arrangement designed for a speed of 350 kmh.
4. The world’s first cable-stayed bridge with large cantilever steel trusses.
5. The rail-cum-road bridge with the largest diameter stay cables in the world.
6. The world’s first cable-stayed bridge using elastic restraint bearings.

Newsweek has contacted China Railway Group Limited for comment via email outside of standard working hours.

The two main towers of the bridge have already been completed, with the central tower topping out in August. This tower features an H-shaped curved structure, which stands 144.6 meters tall and took 14 months to construct. The bridge’s cable-stayed design includes over 500 steel wires, each seven millimeters in diameter.

Newsweek has previously mapped high-speed rail systems around the world.

China currently leads the world in high-speed rail development, boasting the largest network globally with over 40,000 kilometers of operational high-speed rail lines, according to a 2023 report from the International Railway Union. China’s network is not only vast, but also operates some of the world’s fastest trains.

In the United States, the development of high-speed rail has been relatively slow compared to other countries, though multiple high-speed rail projects are in various stages of completion.

In June, designs were revealed for four new stations on the much-awaited California High-Speed Rail line: Merced, Bakersfield, Fresno and Kings Tulare.

The first lines for the high-speed rail project are currently scheduled to become operable between 2030 and 2033.

Work is also underway on the Brightline West high-speed rail line between Las Vegas and Southern California, a line that hopes to reach speeds of 186 mph, which would make it comparable with the Japanese Shinkansen.

Do you have a story we should be covering? Do you have any questions about high-speed rail or construction projects in your state? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.com