Construction of the longest and highest railway bridges of the Hotan-Ruoqiang railway in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region is progressing stably amid the extremely low temperature and strong sand storms.
The Niya River Grand Bridge, which is specially designed to resist wandering dunes, has a total length of 18,628.46 meters, making it the longest of its kind on the railway.
With an average pier height of 24 meters and the highest pier of 35 meters, the Ruokeya Grand Bridge features 297 openings which are designed to deal with sand movement.
Girder erection of the Ruokeya bridge was completed by the end of this November and similar engineering on the Niya River bridge is expected to be finished by the end of March next year.
Located in the Hotan and Bayingolin Mongol autonomous prefectures, the 825.48-kilometer Hotan-Ruoqiang railway is a single track railway for transport of both passengers and freight. It has a designed speed of 120 kilometers per hour and is scheduled to open for service in 2022.
Both bridges are constructed by China Railway 11 Bureau Group Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China Railway Construction Corporation Limited.
Girder construction of the Yurungkax River Grand Bridge of the Hotan-Ruoqiang railway is completed. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
Workers transport the T-shaped beam for construction of the Niya River Grand Bridge of the Hotan-Ruoqiang railway in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
An aerial view of the Niya River Grand Bridge winding through the desert in Xinjiang [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
Workers complete girder erection on the Ruokeya bridge of the Hotan-Ruoqiang railway in Xinjiang. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
(Executive editor: Wang Ruoting)
