Tian’e Longtan Bridge: A Marvel of Modern Engineering in China

Tian’e Longtan Bridge
天峨龙滩特大桥
Tian’e, Guangxi, China
951 feet high / 290 meters high
1,969 foot span / 600 meter span
2024

Upon completion in 2024, the Tian’e Longtan Bridge became the longest span arch bridge in the world at 600 meters. Unlike previous record breaking arch spans that have always been made of steel, the Longtan Tianhu Bridge is made of concrete. Steel was only used internally as part of a skeleton core that was encased in concrete. Prior to Tian’e Longtan Bridge, the longest concrete arch was the Beipanjiang Qinglong Railway Bridge with a span of 445 meters.

The total length of the Tian’e Longtan Bridge is 2,539 meters with the main bridge being 760 meters long and 26 meters wide. The tallest pier measures 120 meters. As a comparison the Beipanjiang Qinglong Railway Bridge arch has a maximum pier height of 102 meters. The deck is approximately 140 meters above a full reservoir elevation level of 375 meters with another 150 meters down to the original Hongshui River level.

Tian’e Longtan Bridge was built by the Guangxi Highway and Bridge Corporation who are also responsible for the steel Pingnan #3 arch in Guangxi Province which was the previous world record arch with a span of 575 meters.

The Tian’e Longtan concrete arch bridge crosses a deep reservoir along the Hongshuihe River just upstream of the Longtan Dam in Tian‘e County, Guangxi and is one of several large bridges along the mountainous Nandan to Xialaoxiang Expressway that links the G75 and G69 expressways.

TianeLongtanElevationAlt.jpg

Tian’e Longtan Bridge Elevation

Tian'eLongtanElevationAlternate.jpg
Longtan Tianhu Bridge Render large.jpg
Tian'eSideRender2.jpg

Tian’e Longtan Bridge with s slightly different approach span design configuration with a single pier cantilevered beam bridge.

Longtan Tianhu Bridge.jpg
Tian'e Longtan Render.jpeg
Tian'eSideRender.jpg
TianeLongtanApproachBeams.jpg
TianeLongtanApproachBeamsDrone.jpg
LongtanModel.jpg
TianeLongtanRibCrossElevation.jpg
Tian'eLongtanArchCrossSegments.jpg
Tian'e Longtan Elevation Construction.JPG
Tian'e LongtanArchTruss.JPG
Tian'e LongtanArchDetail.JPG
Tian'eLongtanCompletedBlueLake.jpg
Tian'eLongtanCompletedBoat.jpg
Tian'eLongtanCompletedDrone.jpg
Tian'eLongtanCompletedLateDay.jpg
Tian'eLongtanCompletedSideSky.jpg
LongtanArchBase.JPG

Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com

LongtanSpandrels.JPG

Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com

LongtanRoadEdge.JPG

Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com

LongtanCables.JPG

Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com

LongtanPierCrane.JPG

Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com

LongtanSpringing.JPG

Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com

LongtanSky.JPG

Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com

LongtanTBeam.JPG

Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com

LongtanWestSide.JPG

Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com

LongtanArchEndDrone.jpg
LongtanSideArchCentered.jpg
LongtanNearClosure.jpg
LongtanArchRibsCenter.jpg
LongtanBeginningArch.jpg
LongtanSkyHighDrone.jpg
LongtanArchStartHighline.jpg
LongtanSideGreen.jpg
TianeLongtanCovering2.png
TianeLongtanCovering.jpg
Tian'e longtanTrussBlueHighline.jpg
Tian'e longtanClosureSkeleton.jpg
Tian'e longtanDownTrussClosure.jpg
Tian'e longtanLonglensCableStays.jpg
Tian'e longtanLakeBlueHighline.jpg
Tian'e longtanLiftLake.jpg
Tian'e longtanHighlineArchLake.jpg
TianeBy entretenimientoinfantil.jpg
Tian'e longtanArchLift.jpg
Tian'e longtanSectionPlacement.jpg
Tian'e longtanSecondSection.jpg
Tian'e longtanFirstSectionFoundation.jpg
TianeHighline.jpg
TianeTruss.jpg
TianeTruss2.jpg
Longtan Tianhu animationGrab.jpg

Tian’e Longtan Bridge with the once planned Pingtang to Tian’e to Fengshan cable stayed expressway bridge in the background that has since been rerouted much further east.

Tian'ePiers.jpg
LongtanEast.jpg
LongtanEastConcrete.jpg
LongtanEastConcreteRed.jpg
LongtanEastFoundationDrone.jpg
TianeLongtanFoundationsSize.jpg
LongtanEastLake.jpg
LongtanEastNight.jpg
LongtanWest.jpg
LongtanWest2.jpg
LongtanWest3.jpg
Longtan Tianhu Foundation.jpg
Tian'e Longtan2.jpg
Longtan Tianhu Foundation2.jpg
Longtan Tianhu BridgeSide.jpg
Tian'eSatelliteJuly 28 2020.jpg

Tian’e Longtan Bridge satellite image.

Longtan Tianhu BridgeLocation.jpg
Longtan Tianhu BridgeLocationMap.jpg

Tian’e Longtan Bridge location map.

TianeLongtanLocationMap.jpg
NandanXialaoMap.jpg