Waibaidu Bridge
The Waibaidu Bridge (Chinese: 外白渡桥; pinyin: Wàibáidù Qiáo; Shanghainese: Ngabahdu Jio), called the Garden Bridge in English, is the first all-steel bridge, and the only surviving example of a camelback truss bridge, in China. The present bridge is the fourth Western-designed bridge built at its location since 1856, in the downstream of the estuary of the Suzhou Creek (formerly known as Wusong or Soochow Creek), near its confluence with the Huangpu River, adjacent to the Bund in central Shanghai. It connects the Huangpu and Hongkou districts and was opened on 20 January 1908. With its rich history and unique design the Waibaidu Bridge is one of the symbols of Shanghai. Its modern and industrial image may be regarded as the city's landmark bridge. On 15 February 1994 the Shanghai Municipal Government declared the bridge an example of Heritage Architecture, and one of the outstanding structures in Shanghai. In an ever-changing metropolis, the Waibaidu Bridge still remains a popular attraction, and one of the few constants in the city skyline.
Waibaidu Bridge 外白渡桥 | |
|---|---|
Waibaidu Bridge in 2019 | |
| Coordinates | 31°14′35″N 121°29′24″E |
| Carries | Road and pedestrian |
| Crosses | Suzhou Creek |
| Locale | Near confluence of Huangpu River and Suzhou Creek, Shanghai, China |
| Other name(s) | Garden Bridge |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | camelback truss bridge |
| Material | Steel |
| Total length | 104.9 metres (344 ft) |
| Width | 18.4 metres (60 ft) |
| Longest span | 52.16 metres (171.1 ft) |
| No. of spans | 2 |
| Piers in water | 1 |
| Load limit | 20.32 tonnes (20.00 long tons; 22.40 short tons) |
| Clearance below | 3.25 metres (10.7 ft) highest tide; 5.57 metres (18.3 ft) lowest tide |
| History | |
| Designer | Howarth Erskine Ltd |
| Constructed by | Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Company |
| Construction start | 4 August 1906 |
| Construction end | 29 December 1907 |
| Opened | 20 January 1908 |
| Location | |