Image Credit: VA

The Directorate General of Highways commissioned the Danjiang bridge in Taipei that will span the mouth of the Tamsui River. Construction of the world’s longest single-mast, asymmetric cable-stayed bridge is already underway and is generating quite a buzz.

Designed to connect to the national highway system, the Danjiang bridge will help ease congestion on the Guandu Bridge situated further upriver. The Danjiang bridge construction will also facilitate the expansion of the Danhai Light Rail Transit which is part of the city’s public transport system.

Construction Project Details

The Danjiang Bridge was first envisioned in 2015 during an international architecture competition to design a new bridge in Taipei, Taiwan. Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA), in collaboration with Sinotech Engineering Consultants and Leonhardt Andra und Partner Beratende Ingenieure, won the competition with some impressive details.

Construction has already begun on a bridge that has been dubbed as the world’s longest single-mast, asymmetric cable-stayed bridge. Including support roads, the bridge will be 920 m (3,018 ft) long, spanning 450 m (1,476 ft) to the west of the single mast and 175 m (574 ft) to the east. Engineers made sure that the 200 m (656 ft) mast would be as slender as possible while strong enough to withstand all types of conditions.

Project Cost

This is a project on a mammoth scale with a considerable budget of NT$12.49 billion (US$405.2 million). Considering the preliminary construction schedule of 68 months, the Dianjing Bridge will only be fully operational in 2024.

It may be some time before Taipei benefits from the new bridge but once completed, they will reap the rewards. As stated by Taiwan’s President at the opening ceremony, “the bridge will reduce the journey between Bali and Tamsui by 15 km, saving 25 minutes of travelling time for those crossing the river.”

Built For Purpose: Attractive And Practical Construction

While safety is always the primary focus of construction, next on the list is appearance. Not only does the Dianjing bridge have an attractive asymmetrical design but it also has serious practical merit. For starters, the bridge will greatly reduce traffic on the congested local roads on either side of the river. It will include road, bicycle and pedestrian lanes so every road user benefits.

The bridge construction is optimised for structural performance and integrity while offering several other advantages such as:

• A design that will not impede with sea traffic, greatly aided by the single concrete mast
• Minimising obstruction of the view which is vital for tourism as this area is popular for watching beautiful sunsets over the Taipei Strait
• Minimal disruption of the riverbed and the local natural habitat
• A reduction in traffic of 30% on the existing Guandu Bridge 5 km upriver improving Taiwan’s northern coast traffic network
• Improving accessibility in the region especially between the Port of Taipei and Taoyuan Airport

As ZHA stated, “The mast is designed and engineered to be as slender as possible and positioned to offer the best structural performance.”

Engineering And Construction Prowess

Zaha Hadid Architects are responsible for several really big construction projects in recent years. This includes Russia’s largest port, a whole new neighbourhood near Moscow and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge.

The neighbourhood is named Rublyovo-Arkhangelskoye which will be located west of Moscow. It’s envisioned to accommodate the growing population and a new metro line due to begin construction in 2020 connecting the area with Moscow. The new neighbourhood will include homes for approximately 66,500 residents, schools, medical clinics, shopping districts and transport infrastructure. Read the full article here, ‘Zaha Hadid Architects co-designs new Russian neighbourhood’.

Following another architectural competition, Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) were given the go-ahead to develop Russia’s largest shipping port in Novorossiysk. This port city connects Russia with the Mediterranean, Atlantic Ocean and the Suez Canal. The area for development is a massive 13.9 hectare (34 acre) and construction is due to start later this year. Read the full article here, ‘Zaha Hadid Architects to transform Russia’s largest port’.

Engineering And Construction With PRV Engineering

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