Yangpu Bridge, Cable-stayed bridge in Shanghai, China
Yangpu Bridge is a cable-stayed road bridge crossing the Huangpu River in Shanghai, supported by two main towers that rise about 223 meters (730 feet) above the water. The total length of the structure reaches roughly 8 kilometers, with six traffic lanes and sidewalks on both sides.
Work on the bridge started in April 1991 and it opened to traffic in October 1993, completed in under three years. At that time, its main span of 602 meters made it the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world, a record it held for about two years.
The two main towers carry an inscription of the bridge's name written by hand by Deng Xiaoping, one of China's most influential 20th-century leaders. The calligraphy is set into the concrete of the towers and can be seen by pedestrians as they cross.
The bridge is open daily to both vehicles and pedestrians, so crossing on foot is an option from either bank of the Huangpu River. The sidewalks on both sides offer open views of the river and the surrounding city, making a walk across worth considering on a clear day.
Although Yangpu Bridge is often overshadowed by the nearby Nanpu Bridge, it was completed just two years after it and surpassed its main span by a wide margin. Both bridges were built as part of the same city infrastructure plan, forming two of Shanghai's earliest major crossings east of the city center.
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