Published : 29/10/2024

On October 29, 2002, the main construction of Qingshui River Grand Bridge (清水河特大橋) of the Qinghai-Xizang Railway (青藏鐵路) was completed.

The construction of Qing Shui River Grand Bridge started on April 8, 2002. 

Located in the uninhabited area of Hoh Xil (可可西里) at an elevation of more than 4,500 metres, the bridge is 11.7 kilometres long and is the longest "bridge as a road" on the Qinghai-Xizang railway route.

It is also a key control project for the construction of the entire railway section from Qinghai to Xizang (previously known as Tibet).

This area is a frequent migratory place for national rare wild animals such as Tibetan antelope and wild donkeys.

To solve the problem of construction in the permafrost region and protect the natural reserve, experts of the investigation and design of the Qinghai-Xizang Railway adopted the method of using "bridge as road".

More than 1,300 bridge holes between each pier under the big bridge allow wild animals such as Tibetan antelopes to migrate freely.

It is worth mentioning that during the construction of the Qing Shui River Grand Bridge, in order to protect the local ecology and avoid frightening wild animals, the construction unit even placed the stone quarry in a bare area 50-60 kilometres away, which required an additional transportation cost of 24 million CNY.