The Wufengshan Yangtze River Bridge is a steel truss suspension bridge with a main span of 1,092 metres, and it is the first suspension bridge in China built to carry both high-speed railway and expressway traffic.
The bridge’s main cable span arrangement is 350, 1,092 and 350 metres, while the stiffening beam spans 84, 84, 1,092, 84 and 84 metres. The stiffening beam uses a large-section integral welded structure, with a Warren truss style facade and a straight main truss form with auxiliary trusses in the cross-section. The railway and expressway are arranged at the lower and upper layers respectively, and both levels are fully welded structures of plate truss combined with orthotropic overall bridge decks.
Operation test data reported in the article show that the static and dynamic performance of the bridge structure meets the safety and comfort requirements of high-speed train operation. During testing, the high-speed railway set multiple world records for suspension bridges, with a measured speed of 275 km/h.
The design integrates several demanding functions in a single crossing: carrying heavy, fast trains on a lower deck and dense road traffic above, while maintaining the stiffness needed for passenger comfort at high speed.
The published test results indicate that the structure performs within the required safety and comfort limits for high-speed train operation, supporting its role as a working railway and expressway link over the Yangtze River.
Subject of Research: Design and operational performance of the Wufengshan Yangtze River Bridge, a high-speed railway suspension bridge
Article Title: Wufengshan Yangtze River Bridge—the first high-speed railway suspension bridge in the world
Article References: Gongyi, X., & Heqiang, T. (2026). Wufengshan Yangtze River Bridge—the first high-speed railway suspension bridge in the world. Advances in Bridge Engineering, 7(1), Article 40. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43251-026-00228-1
Image Credits: AI Generated
DOI: 10.1186/s43251-026-00228-1
Keywords: Wufengshan Yangtze River Bridge, suspension bridge, high-speed railway, steel truss, stiffening beam, orthotropic deck, bridge engineering, Yangtze River, expressway, main span, Wufengshan, Yangtze
News Source: Denise Maddox. (October 29, 2026). Research report: Wufengshan Yangtze River Bridge—the first high-speed railway suspension bridge in the world. Scienmag.
