The newly constructed Tonghua Bridge [Photo/dajilin.com]
As an important link connecting the two districts of Jiangdong and Jiangbei in Tonghua city, Northeast China's Jilin province, Jiangbei Bridge was first constructed in 1985 and was recently rebuilt and given the new name of "Tonghua Bridge", becoming a landmark of the city.
"From the demolition of the original bridge to the construction of the new one, I always come and have a look every morning. From a distance, I saw festive balloons rising up at both ends of the bridge, and hurried over. Having looked forward to it for so long, the government has really created a very magnificent, beautiful and modern bridge for its citizens," a local resident called Yao Jianying said.
Since the start of construction in May 2020, Tonghua has strictly controlled the bridge's safety and quality, and also made efforts to advance the progress of the project. As a result, they have successfully created a landmark bridge with perfect functions and beautiful shapes, and ensuring smooth traffic.
Originally built in 1985, the bridge was the main channel connecting the Jiangdong area to the Jiangbei area (east to north). For more than 30 years, due to natural factors, such as frost heave and rain, the structure of the bridge has suffered various degrees of damage, ranging from cracks, to exposed reinforcements, and steel corrosion. It had been assessed as a D-grade dangerous bridge with severe safety hazards by the bridge inspection department.
In order to ensure traffic safety, in 2020, the Tonghua Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government decided to demolish the original bridge and rebuild it. The reconstructed Tonghua Bridge adopted a half-through steel arch bridge design, with a length of 317.5 meters, a width of 32 meters, and a 21-meter-wide motor vehicle lane in the center. It also adopted a two-way six-lane design that also overpasses Binjiang East Road and Binjiang West Road.
With a total investment of 150 million yuan($23.1 milliond), the newly built bridge has a super-level safety standard and can defend against huge flood disasters.
"After 385 days of unremitting struggle, Tonghua Bridge officially opened to traffic today. Upon completion, it will effectively connect Jiangdong and Jiangbei, as well as the high-speed railway to the new city, to meet the travel needs of local residents, improve the city's carrying capacity, and help coordinate regional development," said Guo Baoqing, an official of the Tonghua Urban and Rural Construction Bureau.
At half past seven in the morning, Tonghua Bridge officially opened to traffic to the eager anticipation of the residents. The shape of the flying swallows symbolizes Tonghua's prosperous economy and future.