The 36th International Bridge Conference was held in Washington, DC, U.S. on June 12, local time. The Luding Daduhe Bridge for Ya’an-Kangding Expressway, built by Sichuan Road & Bridge, won Gustav Lindenthal Medal, the most influential award in the global bridge sector. This is the second prize after Zhoushan Xihoumen Bridge in Zhejiang won this award in 2010, which amply demonstrates that Sichuan Road & Bridge is at the forefront in the world in terms of bridge construction.

Luding Daduhe Bridge for Ya’an-Kangding Expressway

Luding Daduhe Bridge for Ya’an-Kangding Expressway, located in Dadu River gorge in Luding, Ganzi Prefecture, Sichuan Province, is a suspension bridge built at high altitude, with high seismic intensity and complex wind field environment. Completed and opened to traffic in December 2018, it has a total length of 1,411 meters, a main span of 1,100 meters, and a total cost of over RMB 1 billion. It is the controlled project for Ya’an-Kangding Expressway, a main road leading from Sichuan to Tibet, and also the life-saving passage passing through Lushan and Kangding earthquake-stricken areas. It is the largest-span steel truss girder suspension bridge in Sichuan and Tibet under construction and the world’s longest tunnel anchorage under construction. In terms of construction technology, it had “five firsts”, including using the drone to pull the pilot ropes across the river for the first time in Sichuan, and using cable hoisting system to erect 1000-meter steel truss girder in high-altitude canyon area and complex strong wind field conditions for the first time in China. It is hailed as the “mega project” in the Chinese road industry.

The mainstream media such as the People’s Daily, Xinhua News Agency, and China Central Television have made all-round publicity coverage. The film The Connection in celebration of 40-year traffic development since the reform and opening-up led by the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the CPC was also filmed in the context of this bridge construction, showcasing the company’s good brand image.

Zhoushan Xihoumen Bridge in Zhejiang

Further reading

The International Bridge Conference (IBC), an academic conference hosted by the Engineers' Society of Western Pennsylvania, has extensive clout in the global bridge community. Established in 1988, the IBC is held annually and is hailed as the “Nobel Prize” in the bridge industry. The conference sets up seven awards, including five awards for engineering and technology, lifelong achievement award and student paper awards. These awards recognize outstanding bridge projects and individuals in terms of design, practicality, idea, and environmental resources, etc. Gustav Lindenthal Medal is an outstanding achievement award set up by the IBC in recognition of excellent bridge projects.