China - Tianxingzhou cable stay bridge

December 2004

	TIANXINGZHOU CABLE STAY BRIDGE
	On 30 November 2004, following a call for tender, SYSTRA won a contract with the Ministry of Chinese Railways to provide services for the proposed cable stay Tianxingzhou bridge project. Situated on the Yangtze River, the cable stay bridge will form part of the first section of the new Guangzhou-Wuhan railway line. The line is designed to carry passenger trains which will reach speeds of 250km/h or above. The bridge will be the first of its kind in the world in terms of span and capacity: 4,657m long with a main span of 504m, it will comprise 2 levels with 4 rail tracks on the lower level and a 6-lane motorway. The carriageway will be 30m wide and 15m high. These features will make it the heaviest load-bearing cable stay bridge in the world. Construction will begin in December 2004 and is expected to last 4 years. In partnership with the China Academy of Railway Sciences (CARS), SYSTRA will be responsible for the review of detailed design and for managing the construction supervision. A staff of about 20 people will be assigned to the project.