Now THAT’S a swing bridge! Chinese engineers build 17,000-ton flyover section at 90 degrees so railway below could remain open… then rotate it into place

• Engineers took 90 minutes to swivel the structure into place in Wuhan City today
  
• The section was built separately so as not to disturb the busy high speed railway track beneath it
  
• It was the first time the unusual construction technique was used in the country
  
• China is home to the largest high speed rail network in the world
  
• 
  

By Jennifer Smith

Forward-thinking engineers in China are the first in the country to have built a section of an enormous overpass and rotate it into place upon completion so as not to disturb the railways below.
A 17,000 ton part of an elevated motorway was today slowly swung into place in Wuhan City after being constructed independently beside a high speed railway track.


Engineers took 90minutes to carefully swing the 17,000-ton structure into place today above a high speed railway track in Wuhan City, central China



A China Railway High-speed train passes beneath the rotating sector of the bridge today as engineers expertly swivel it into place



It was the first time the technique had been used in China, with engineers unable to temporarily halt the busy train service in order to build the bridge in place



Experts took 90 minutes to connect the section to the rest of the bridge, tuning it 106 degrees on a 15metre high axis.

It was the first time the innovative technique had been used in China.

The country has the world's longest high speed rail network with over 6,200 miles of routes in service in December 2012.

The track beneath the bridge in Wuhan City was considered too important to be temporarily halted in order for engineers' to complete construction.

Once finished, the overpass will be 256m long and span 11 railways, including the 1,428 mile-long Beijing-Guangzhou service.


Experts estimate the bridge will be open to traffic later this month.
The 17,000 structure is slowly brought into place in by engineers after weeks of construction

The 17,000 structure is slowly brought into place in by engineers after weeks of construction
The unusual technique has been used in the UK in the past, though never before in China

The 17,000-ton structure was rotated at 106 degrees on a 15metre axis


The sector is connected to the rest of the bridge after 90minutes. Officials estimate it will be open to traffic later this month

A similar technique was used to construct the Grade I listed Kingsgate Bridge across the River Wear in Durham in 1968.

Designed in 1963 by Sir Ove Arup, the bridge's two halves were built on the river's bank and swung together at 90 degrees.

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