Nanjing’s iconic Yangtze River Bridge that has been a major passageway between north and south China since its opening in 1968 will officially close on 28th October for a lengthy 27 months due to repairs.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday Nanjing traffic police estimated at present the bridge carries approximately 85,000 vehicles a day, considerably more than that for which it was designed.
During its renovation, most of the immediate traffic will be diverted to the Yangtze River tunnel that opened last year. Designed to accommodate 80,000 vehicles a day, police estimate that over 100,000 vehicles will now be attempting to pass through, which will result in considerable congestion and prolonged traffic delays.
The Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge can be thought of as the mother of all Nanjing superlatives, laying claim to at least three world firsts. While it is common knowledge that it was the first bridge across the Yangtze built without foreign assistance, what is less known is that during its construction, a world record was set for working underwater, at a depth of 80 metres, while the foundations for the bridge’s nine supporting piers were anchored into the river bed.
Public access to such a spot high above the river is a sobering reminder that the bridge is also the world’s number one suicide location. Over 2,000 people have claimed their lives since the bridge opened in 1968 by jumping into the river (preventative fences have been installed where the railway line runs under the bridge); many survive the fall but of those who do not drown, most die later of internal injuries.
