Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge

The Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge (simplified Chinese: 南京长江大桥; traditional Chinese: 南京長江大橋; pinyin: Nánjīng Chángjiāng Dàqiáo), previously called the First Nanjing Yangtze Bridge, is a double-decked road-rail truss bridge across the Yangtze River in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China connecting the city's Pukou and Gulou districts. Its upper deck is part of China National Highway 104, spanning 4,588 metres (15,052 ft). Its lower deck, with a double-track railway, is 6,772 metres (22,218 ft) long, and completes the Beijing–Shanghai railway, which had been divided by the Yangtze for decades. Its right bridge consists of nine piers, with the maximum span of 160 metres (525 ft) and the total length of 1,576 metres (5,171 ft). The bridge carries approximately 80,000 vehicles and 190 trains per day.

Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge 南京长江大桥
Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge, looking from the southeast bank to the northwest view.
Coordinates	32.1152°N 118.7388°E / 32.1152; 118.7388
Carries	Beijing–Shanghai railway Nanjing–Xi'an railway Nanjing–Qidong railway National Highway 104
Crosses	Yangtze River
Locale	Nanjing, Jiangsu China
Owner	People's Government of Nanjing Shanghai Railway Bureau
Characteristics
Design	Double-decked truss bridge
Material	Steel
Total length	Main Bridge: 1,576 metres (5,171 ft) Highway: 4,588 metres (15,052 ft) Railway: 6,772 metres (22,218 ft)
Width	Highway Bridge: 19.5 metres (64 ft) (with 4.5 metres (15 ft) pedestrian path) Railway: 14 metres (46 ft)
Height	70 metres (230 ft)
Longest span	160 metres (525 ft)
No. of spans	10
Piers in water	9
Clearance below	24 metres (79 ft)
History
Designer	Ministry of Railways
Construction start	18 January 1960
Construction end	Railway: 30 September 1968 Highway: 29 December 1968
Replaces	Yangtze River Railway Ferry
Statistics
Daily traffic	80,000 vehicles 200 pairs of trains (2011)
Location

The bridge was completed and open for traffic in 1968. It was the third bridge over the Yangtze after the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge and the Chongqing Baishatuo Yangtze River Bridge. It was the first heavy bridge designed and built using Chinese expertise.

Suicide site

See also: List of suicide sites

According to state media, the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge surpassed the Golden Gate Bridge as the most frequent suicide site in the world, with more than 2,000 suicides estimated by 2006.^{[1][needs update]}

People who have survived the jump have had severe consequences including paralysis, organ damage, broken bones and lifelong pain. Many assume that the jump will cause instant death, however, it isn't uncommon for jumpers to die from other causes, such as drowning or hypothermia after hitting the cold waters. ^[2]

Gallery

• 
  Vehicles on the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge
• 
  Statue of first Yangtze river bridge at Nanjing
• 
  Scenery on the Yangtze river
• 
  Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge seen from the upstream right bank
• 
  Perspective of the double-column frame piers of the railway bridge approach structure
• 
  The Nanjing Yangtze Bridge in 2022

See also

• Dashengguan Yangtze River Bridge Nanjing's other railway bridge that carries the Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway.
• Yangtze River bridges and tunnels
• List of bridges in China
• Beijing–Shanghai Railway
• Rail transport in China
• Passenger rail transport in China