March 3, 2010
Reston, Va. — The American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) has announced that the Sutong Bridge in Nantong City, Jiangsu Province, China is a finalist for 2010 Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement award (OCEA). The bridge is one of five finalists for the annual award, which will be presented to the winner at a gala in Washington, D.C. on March 25, 2010.
The Sutong Bridge, which spans the Yangtze River in China’s Jiangsu province, is the world’s longest cable-stayed bridge. The bridge provides a vital link between the cities of Suzhou and Nantong in Jiangsu province. It dramatically reduces the journey between Suzhou and Nantong to just an hour—which used to require a four-hour ferry trip.
With the main span measuring 1,088 meters, it is the first cable-stayed bridge with a span that broaches the 1,000 meter mark. The bridge also has two side-spans that are 300 meters each, and four smaller cable spans.
The construction included a number of significant achievements: The two bridge pylon foundations each founded on 131 piles, and were the largest ever attempted. The 300 meter bridge pylons were the tallest ever constructed, and the 577 meter long stayed cables were the longest ever manufactured. Additionally, the 1,088 meter cable stayed main span is the longest ever to be erected and closed.
Established in 1960, the OCEA program recognizes projects from around the world for their contribution to the well-being of people and communities, their resourcefulness in planning and design challenges, and their innovative use of materials and techniques. The other four finalists are:
- The Arrowhead Tunnels Project -- Inland Feeder Program, San Bernardino, Calif.
- The Concordia University Wisconsin Lakeshore Environmental Enhancement and Education Project, Mequon, Wis.
- The Sound Transit Central Link Light Rail: Section 710 Beacon Hill Station and Tunnels, Seattle, Wash.
- The Utah State Capitol Seismic Base Isolation and Restoration, Salt Lake City, Utah
More information about the award is available here: http://content.asce.org/handa/opal.html. For press passes, please contact Leikny Johnson at 703-295-6413 or ljohnson@asce.org.
Founded in 1852, the American Society of Civil Engineers represents more than 144,000 civil engineers worldwide and is America’s oldest national engineering society. For more information, visit www.asce.org.
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Media Contact: Leikny Johnson, 703-295-6413, ljohnson@asce.org