Record-breaking suspension bridge built with robots cuts travel by 97%

The newly constructed Luzhijiang Bridge in Yunnan province is now the world's longest suspension bridge with a single tower.

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The bridge started a load test on July 11th and completed it a week later on July 18th, using trucks that carried 1,280 tonnes (1,411 tons) and continually drove back and forth across it. The bridge sits 300 meters (984 feet) above the ground, spans 800 meters (2,625 feet), and connects the cities of Yuxi and Chuxiong, reducing the travel time between them from about 90 minutes to only 2 minutes.

The region is some of China's least developed territory. The Luzhijiang Bridge comprises part of a new 200-kilometer (124 miles) long expressway through Yunnan province as part of China's Belt and Road Initiative. The expressway will help connect China with nearby countries like Myanmar, Vietnam, and Laos.

The bridge's construction began in 2019 with a three-year deadline and managed to finish on time despite the Covid-19 pandemic and the resultant lockdowns. The engineers behind the bridge attributed the on-time completion to help from robots, likely using the 'Iron Monster' SLJ900/32 made by the Beijing Wowjoint Machinery Company or something similar.

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