The Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge , commonly known as First Wuhan Yangtze Bridge, is the first bridge built over the Yangtze River

Yangtze River

The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...

 in Wuhan

Wuhan

Wuhan is the capital of Hubei province, People's Republic of China, and is the most populous city in Central China. It lies at the east of the Jianghan Plain, and the intersection of the middle reaches of the Yangtze and Han rivers...

.

Timing

Constructed from 1955 to 1957, the combined road and rail bridge carries the Beijing-Guangzhou Railway

Jingguang Railway

The Beijing–Guangzhou Railway or Jingguang Railway is a major arterial railway in the China that connects Beijing in the north with Guangzhou in the south. This dual-track electrified line has a total length of 2,324 kilometres and spans five provinces through north, central and south China...

 directly across the river between Snake Hill (Sheshan) in Wuchang and Turtle Hill (Guishan) in Hanyang. Before this bridge was built, it took an entire day to barge railcars across

Train ferry

A train ferry is a ship designed to carry railway vehicles. Typically, one level of the ship is fitted with railway tracks, and the vessel has a door at the front and/or rear to give access to the wharves. In the United States, train ferries are sometimes referred to as "car ferries", as...

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Design and construction

Design and construction were undertaken by the Engineering Bureau of the First Yangtze River Bridge, set up by the Ministry of Railway in April 1953. On 15 April, 1954, the 203rd conference of State Council passed Resolutions on Building the First Yangtze River Bridge. Then on 15 January 1955, a technical conference on the routes of the bridge was held in Hankou, and determined that the route from Tortoise Hill to Snake Hill was the best choice.

Construction on the bridge proper began on 25 October, 1955, and the whole project was completed two years later to the day, and ten days after the opening-to-traffic ceremony which was held on 15 October, 1957.

Characteristics

Including its approaches, the bridge is 5,511 feet (1,680m) long, and it accommodates a double-track railway on the lower deck and a four-lane roadway on the upper deck.

See also

• Wuhan#Completion and opening-to-traffic of the First Yangtze River Bridge
• Second Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge
  Second Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge
  The Second Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge is a bridge across the Yangtze River in Wuhan, Hubei province, China. It is located northeast of the historic central area of the city's Hankou District.-Construction:...
  
  
• Third Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge
  Third Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge
  thumb|right|250px|Wuhan's Third Yangtze River Bridge at Baishazhou.The Third Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge is a highway bridge over the Yangtze River in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. It is located 6.8 kilometers southwest of the First Bridge...
  
  
• Wuhan Tianxingzhou Yangtze River Bridge
  Wuhan Tianxingzhou Yangtze River Bridge
  thumb|right|400px|Wuhan Tianxingzhou Yangtze River BridgeThe Wuhan Tianxingzhou Yangtze River Bridge is a combined road and rail bridge across the Yangtze River in the city of Wuhan, the capital of the Hubei Province of China....
  
  
• Wuhan Yangluo Yangtze River Bridge
  Yangluo Bridge
  The Yangluo Bridge is a suspension bridge near Wuhan in the Hubei province of China. With a main span of , it is tied with the Golden Gate Bridge for the ninth longest suspension bridge in the world...
  
  
• Wuhan Yangtze River Tunnel
  Wuhan Yangtze River Tunnel
  The Wuhan Yangtze River Tunnel , is the first tunnel crossing the Yangtze River. Trial operation commenced on Dec. 28, 2008 . It takes about 7 minutes to cross the Yangtze River by car using the tunnel....
  
  
• Yangtze River bridges and tunnels