Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge 武汉长江大桥

About Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge

Opened in 1957, it put road traffic above a double railway track and replaced the cumbersome ferrying of trains across the river. Its steel spans link Snake Hill in Wuchang with Turtle Hill in Hanyang. Riverbank viewpoints reveal the two-deck structure especially clearly; a full pedestrian crossing is a separate, exposed walk beside traffic, so decide whether you want an architectural view or the crossing itself.

The bridge's construction used a new tubular pile-drilling method (管柱钻孔法) in place of the traditional pneumatic caisson method, which sped up the work and let the bridge open about two years ahead of schedule. Once complete, it linked with the separately built Han River railway bridge and the Jianghan Bridge to join Wuchang, Hankou and Hanyang for the first time, ending the earlier separation of the three towns across the river. The earliest attempt to bridge the towns had come during the Taiping Rebellion, when a large pontoon bridge was built in 1852-1853 and later destroyed.

In late 1955, after learning that the bridge was using the tubular pile-drilling method, the Soviet Union sent a delegation led by its transport engineering minister to observe the work, and China's railway ministry and the Soviet transport engineering ministry signed an agreement giving the technique a positive assessment. The bridge was listed as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level (全国重点文物保护单位) in 2013.

What to look for

• The steel truss spans and the separate road and railway decks.
• The relationship between Snake Hill and Turtle Hill on opposite banks.

Location & getting there

Getting to Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge

Choose the Wuchang Snake Hill end or the Hanyang Turtle Hill end before setting out. For a bridge view, use the signed public riverside approaches; follow designated pedestrian access if crossing and do not enter rail or maintenance areas.