With the successful hoisting of the last span steel main beam in position, the main bridge of Xiangxi Yangtze River Highway Bridge in Yichang, Hubei Province,was closed smoothly on December 27, 2018, marking the beginning of the deck-construction phase of the steel box truss thrust arch bridge with the largest span in the world.

　　Xiangxi Yangtze River Bridge, located at the throat of Bingshu Baojian Gorge in Zigui, Yichang, Hubei Province,is one of the major follow-up projects in the Three Gorges emigration and is being built by the China Railway Bridge Bureau. It is a bi-directional, four-lane highway bridge across the river,with a length of 883.2 meters, a main span of 531.2 meters and a deck width of 32.3 meters.

　　According to reports, through technological innovation, the builders successfully overcame such engineering problems as the difficult alignment control of the main arch cantilever clasp, the high construction risk of the large cantilever and the difficult positioning of the positioning-ships in deep water to ensure the smooth progress of the bridge construction.

　　It’s reported that the bridge is expected to be completed and put into operation by the end of 2019, by which it will string together three major tourist areas, namely the Three Gorges, Shennongjia and Mount Wudang, and play an important role in connecting the golden tourist routes in Central China and in expanding the radiation influence of the Shanghai-Chengdu and Shanghai-Chongqing railways. (Reported byLi JinfengandLi Siyuan)