Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge

Design and structure

The bridge is a steel truss design, built with a two-level arrangement: the upper level is a road deck and the lower level is a railway deck. Its primary steelwork is commonly described as a steel truss system that supports both decks. The road portion is configured as a four-lane carriageway for cars and other vehicles, while the lower level contains tracks for trains. Pedestrians also have access via a dedicated sidewalk on the road deck.

Typical users include private vehicles, buses and heavy freight. The structure routinely carries automobiles and public transport such as buses, plus commercial traffic including trucks. Rail traffic uses the lower level, where locomotives and freight or passenger trains cross on a double-track alignment (trains).

Dimensions and layout

Published descriptions distinguish the lengths of the two decks and their approaches: the road section is often given as approximately 4,588 metres (about 15,052 feet) and the rail portion as about 6,772 metres (about 22,218 feet) when approach spans are included, figures that reflect the full crossing rather than only the main truss spans (source figures).

History and importance

Construction took place in the 1960s and the bridge opened in 1968. At the time it was one of the largest self-reliant engineering projects undertaken in the country and has since been regarded as a symbol of mid-20th-century Chinese civil engineering. Its completion improved connectivity for Nanjing and the surrounding region, facilitating north–south rail and road movement across the Yangtze.

Operation, ownership and notable facts

The bridge is maintained and managed by local authorities and railway organizations; ownership and responsibility for upkeep are shared between the Nanjing municipal government and railway administrations such as the Shanghai Railway Bureau. It remains a functioning transport artery and a frequent subject of local interest for its industrial heritage, engineering form and the views it offers of the river and city. For technical details, route maps and operational notices, consult relevant transport or railway agencies (bridge information).

• Type: double-deck road–rail steel bridge (road deck).
• Users: cars, buses, trucks, pedestrians and trains.
• Management: municipal and railway authorities.