Nujiang Railway Bridge (Darui Railway)

The Nujiang Railway Bridge (Darui Railway) is an impressive engineering feat located in Lamengxiang, Yunnan, China. Here are the key details about this remarkable structure:

Overview

• Name: Nujiang Railway Bridge (Darui Railway) 大瑞铁路怒江大桥
• Location: Lamengxiang, Yunnan, China
• Completion Year: 2018

Specifications

• Height: 212 meters (696 feet) high above normal river level; during rare floods, the deck height can decrease to 167 meters.
• Main Span: 490 meters (1,608 feet), making it the longest span railway-only arch bridge in existence.
• Total Length: 1,024 meters, including approach spans and tunnel terminations.
• Structure: All steel bridge designed for railway traffic, featuring a unique station positioned at the center of the span.

Design Features

• Architectural Significance: Among the top 10 longest arch bridges globally by main span length.
• Unique Configuration: Terminates into long tunnels at both ends, with a station located at the midpoint of the bridge span.
• Span Details: Includes 12 approach spans of 41 meters each and 14 simple spans above the main arch, each 37.2 meters long.

Historical Context

• Battlefield Location: Located near the Songshan Battlefield, where the Battle of Mount Song occurred in 1944 during World War II.
• Strategic Importance: The Japanese Army strategically positioned themselves in tunnels and bunkers along the river slopes to control the Nujiang River crossing point and block the Burma Road supply route to China.
• Military History: The battle was fierce and prolonged, eventually resulting in the retreat of Japanese forces and reopening of the Burma Road to aid China with vital supplies.

The location of the railway bridge is near the famous Songshan Battlefield where the battle of Mount Song took place in 1944 between Chinese Nationalist Forces and the Japanese Army. The Japanese Army was holed up in deep tunnels and bunkers high along the river slopes to block troops on the Burma Road from crossing the suspension bridge over the Nujiang River. The slow battle went on for many months with heavy casualties before the Japanese troops retreated and the Burma Road was once again open to aid China with supplies.

Nujiang Railway Bridge Darui Elevation

Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com

The west railway tunnel is the 4th longest railway tunnel in the world excluding metro lines at 34.54 kilometers. Only the Gotthard, Seikan and Chunnel are longer.

Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com

The highline construction towers will rank as the tallest in the world along with the Yachi Railway Bridge in nearby Guizhou Province.

Nujiang Railway Bridge foundation elevation drawing.

A map showing the Burma Road in brown and some of the strategic locations during the Songshan Battle.

The Nujiang Railway Bridge station will be the highest in the world at 212 meters.

Nujiang Railway Bridge satellite image.

Nujiang Railway Bridge location map.

A map of the Dali to Ruili Railway line with the Nujiang River Bridge crossing at the very bottom left and the Lancanjiang River Bridge crossing in the upper right.