Night View Of Beautiful Caiyuanba Yangtze River Bridge Editorial Image

The Caiyuanba Bridge is an arch bridge running across the Yangtze River in Chongqing. It took nearly four years to build the bridge, which cost 2 billion yuan $291.62 million. Completed in 2007, the arch spans 420 meters ranking it the second longest arch bridge in China. The bridge is a structural blend of tunnels and flyovers with a unique arch and cable structure. It carries six lanes of traffic and two tracks of the Chongqing Rail Transit Line 3 between the Nanan District south of the Yangtze River and the Yuzhong District to the north.Crossing over the Yangtze River, the Caiyuanba Bridge connects two of Chongqing’s busiest business districts and serves as one of the transportation backbones for this rapidly expanding and congested city.The double level bridge, with a main span of 420 meters, carries six lanes of highway and two pedestrian walkways on its upper deck, and two dedicated tracks of monorails on its lower deck for Chongqing Light Rail Line 3.Because the bridge is located at the center of the city and is a prominent part of the skyline, aesthetics took precedence in design considerations. After careful study of the location, a slender tied-arch was selected to carry the double level bridge girder over the river.