The Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge, whose construction was completed 50 years ago, has become the symbol of a collective memory and national pride. It was China's first self-designed bridge over the Yangtze without foreign assistance. It has long been serving as an artery for the Beijing-Shanghai Railway and as road transport for Nanjing. The double-decker bridge will be reopened by the end of 2018.
The Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge is a double-decked road-rail truss bridge across the Yangtze River between Pukou and Xiaguan in Nanjing, China. Its upper deck is part of China National Highway 104, spanning 4,588 metres (15,052 ft). Its lower deck, with a double-track railway, is 6,772 metres (22,218 ft) long, and completes the Beijing-Shanghai Railway, which had been divided by the Yangtze for decades. Its right bridge consists of nine piers, with the maximum span of 160 metres (525 ft) and the total length of 1,576 metres (5,171 ft). The bridge carries approximately 80,000 vehicles and 190 trains per day.
The bridge was completed and open for traffic in 1968. It was the third bridge over the Yangtze after the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge and the Chongqing Baishatuo Yangtze River Bridge. It was the first heavy bridge designed and built using Chinese expertise.
