A £90million bridge with a staggering six lanes of traffic can be climbed up to see amazing views.
Nanpu Bridge is the sister of Yangpu Bridge, both of which cross the Huangpu River in Shanghai, China.
It is one of the major connections between central Shanghai and the Pudong District, helping the ongoing and rapid development of the district.
The bridge’s special cable-stayed design and location make it an attraction for locals and travellers alike, with it being even more spectacular by night.
The idea for the bridge dates back to the 1920s. Another bridge, Songpu, was built in 1975 to relieve traffic but it was too far away from the busy central city.
In the summer of 1986, the state council approved the Nanpu Bridge project and construction began in 1988.
The Chinese government decided to make Pudong District a major development area in 1990, making Nanpu Bridge an even more important project.
Nanpu Bridge was completed in June 1991 and opened in December of that year, becoming the fourth largest cable-stayed bridge in the world.
It was mainly financed by the Asian Development Bank and cost a total of £90.3million. Shanghai Jiushi Corporation was responsible for raising capital and financial management for the whole project.
The successful completion of the bridge stimulated economic development in Shanghai and laid a foundation for the subsequent construction of Yangpu Bridge and Xupu Bridge.
The overall length of Nanpu Bridge is 8,346 metres, 46 metres above the water. It is cable-stayed with two main towers and double cable planes.
