Yangmingtan Bridge, Road bridge in Harbin, China.
Yangmingtan Bridge is a double-tower self-anchored suspension bridge over the Songhua River in Harbin, named after the Yangmingtan island it crosses. Its 7,133-metre length includes a 6,464-metre bridge section and a 427-metre main span, with 80-metre towers and a 41.5-metre deck carrying eight lanes.
Construction began in 2009 and the bridge opened to traffic in 2011 as a major infrastructure project for the city. A significant structural failure occurred less than a year after opening, which drew national attention.
The bridge takes its name from Yangmingtan Island, which the crossing passes over in the river. It was Harbin's first suspension bridge, and its two self-anchored towers rise 80 metres above the deck. The 2012 collapse became a widely discussed case in China about heavy-truck loading and pier design.
The bridge deck is 41.5 metres wide with eight lanes in both directions, and its clearance above the navigation channel is at least 10 metres. It links the intersection of Sanhuan Road and Shimao Avenue in Songbei District with the Sanhuan elevated road south of the Songhua. The structure is 7,133 metres long overall, of which 6,464 metres is bridge and 669 metres approach road.
The section that fell on 24 August 2012 was a ramp of the Sanhuan Lu Qunli viaduct, about 3.5 km from the Yangmingtan Bridge and a separate project; Harbin officials clarified this the next day. Investigators blamed severe truck overloading, while some experts pointed to the single-column pier design.
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