On May 12, the unveiling ceremony for the 2014 Outstanding Structure Award by the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE) was held at the Taizhou Bridge site. Mr. Xu Ming, Member of the Jiangsu Provincial Standing Committee and Vice Governor, and Professor Gao Xuanwu, IABSE Vice President and representative of the IABSE President, delivered remarks and jointly unveiled the award plaque.

The IABSE Outstanding Structure Award is one of the most prestigious honors in global bridge and structural engineering, recognizing the world’s most innovative projects. Taizhou Bridge is the third project in China to receive this award, following the Lupu Bridge and the National Aquatics Center (“Water Cube”).

 The IABSE awards committee praised the Taizhou Bridge for setting a new benchmark in long-span bridge engineering and ushering in a new era for multi-tower suspension bridges. Spanning a total of 62.088 kilometers, the expressway-standard bridge features six lanes in both directions. During construction, it achieved five engineering milestones: the world’s first triple-tower, double-span suspension design; record-setting underwater caisson depth; tallest longitudinal A-frame and transverse portal-frame steel towers; longest W-shaped main cable installation; and symmetrical lifting of steel box girders.

  In his speech, Mr. Xu Ming emphasized that this award honors not only the builders of the Taizhou Bridge but also the broader community of Chinese bridge engineers. He encouraged continued innovation and excellence to further contribute to the development of bridge engineering in China and globally.

   Since opening to traffic over three years ago, Taizhou Bridge has handled more than 33.13 million vehicles, with an average daily traffic volume of 27,000, delivering significant economic and social benefits.

    (Source: Xinhua Daily, Nanjing)