On July 13, the railway viaduct along the East-West Axis of Xiangyang, Hubei Province, was successfully turned. Built by China Railway First Group, it is China’s first all-steel, single-tower asymmetric cable-stayed bridge, and its rotation laid a foundation for the completion and operation of the Fancheng section of the East-West Axis by the end of this year, which will add an east-west thoroughfare for Xiangyang.

Xiangyang’s East-West Axis railway viaduct is located in Fancheng District of the city. Stretching 150 meters in length, it is an all-steel single-tower cable-stayed bridge with spans of 60 to 90 meters. The rotation system features a steel ball hinge set at the center of the cover girder. Such a technique combining an asymmetric all-steel single-tower cable-stayed bridge and a cover girder rotation system has never been used before in China.