貴州：天工成就的世界橋梁博物館

高彧

世界橋梁看中國，中國橋梁看貴州。

貴州是中國唯一一個沒有平原的省份。其地理環(huán)境獨特，境內(nèi)地勢西高東低，平均海拔1100米左右，素有“八山一水一分田”之說。

貴州是山的王國，因山而美、因山而出名。徐霞客游歷貴州時曾感嘆“天下山峰何其多，唯有此處峰成林”。貴州的崇山峻嶺塑造了奇?zhèn)バ蹓训淖匀幻谰?，但也給貴州的交通出了大難蹶。古往今來，貴州的交通問題都是西南地區(qū)互聯(lián)互動的難點。為了方便交通，勤勞智慧的貴州人世代秉持“逢山開路、遇水搭橋”的精神，從古至今修建出各種類型和造型的橋梁。僅福泉市，修建于明清時期并保存至今的石橋就有130座，中國橋梁專家茅以升在福泉辦學(xué)時對此曾贊嘆不已，并將當(dāng)?shù)孛鞔藿ǖ母痃R橋譽(yù)為“西南橋梁之冠”。

時過境遷，古驛道上的石橋現(xiàn)已失去功能，但它們?nèi)允恰肮糯鞓蚣妓嚨募蟪烧摺薄鼈冇械膩辛⒃诖迓渲g，有的橫跨在絕壁之上，無懼風(fēng)雨，歷經(jīng)百年，連通兩地的生活，守護(hù)兩岸的幸福。而如今，繼承了先輩“橋梁精神”的建設(shè)者守正創(chuàng)新，突破了山區(qū)千米級懸索橋、大跨徑斜拉橋、連續(xù)剛構(gòu)橋、高性能機(jī)制砂混凝土等關(guān)鍵技術(shù)，在喀斯特高原上架起了兩萬余座橋梁，將貴州變成了橋梁數(shù)量多、類型全、技術(shù)復(fù)雜、難度大的“世界橋梁博物館”。

目前世界高橋前100名中，有近半數(shù)就在貴州；前十名的世界高橋中，貴州更是獨占五座。一座座世界級大橋橫空出世，驚艷世人，淋漓盡致地詮釋了什么叫做“一橋飛架南北，天塹變通途”。

例如，位于貴州和云南交界處杭瑞高速公路上的“北盤江第一橋”，北起都格鎮(zhèn)，南至臘龍村，橫跨尼珠河大峽谷，全長1341.4米，橋面至江面垂直高度為565.4米，2019年被吉尼斯官方認(rèn)證為“世界最高橋”。北盤江第一橋，其橋面采用雙向四車道高速公路標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，是一座上承式推力轉(zhuǎn)體式鐵路鋼管混凝土拱橋，代表著鋼筋混凝土橋建造的最高水平，是世界特大跨徑鋼桁斜拉橋的典范。北盤江第一橋從2013年動工，歷時三年。正式竣工通車的那天，全國乃至世界的媒體蜂擁而至，曾經(jīng)偏遠(yuǎn)的都格小鎮(zhèn)也因此變得熱鬧起來。

如果想要近距離觸摸宏偉的世界級大橋，那你可以去安順市高原重丘區(qū)看一看壩陵河大橋。它全長2 237米，主橋跨度1 088米，高370米。在這里，你可以沿著橋梁內(nèi)部觀光通道在高空漫步，穿行在云霧之間，零距離欣賞橋梁建筑的結(jié)構(gòu)之美，領(lǐng)略山地峽谷風(fēng)光與“鋼鐵巨龍”的完美融合。在壩陵河大橋極限運動區(qū)還有世界最高的商業(yè)蹦極設(shè)施，足有370米，另有空中秋千、降落傘、滑翔傘等極限項目等待挑戰(zhàn)者來征服。大橋五公里范圍內(nèi)還可以游覽黃果樹瀑布群，漫步關(guān)索嶺古驛道，探秘紅崖天書，品嘗布依美食。

在興義市東北部有一條地球造山運動中剖削深切的大裂水地縫，谷內(nèi)群瀑飛流，翠竹倒掛，溶洞相連，兩岸更有千姿百態(tài)的古樹名木點綴其間，這里正是被譽(yù)為“地球上最美麗的傷疤”的馬嶺河峽谷。如果說馬嶺河峽谷是大自然的鬼斧神工，那橫跨馬嶺河峽谷的馬嶺河大橋就是能工巧匠智慧的結(jié)晶。清晨駕車穿越馬嶺河大橋，仿佛置身于仙界。在這貴州第一座也是最大的一座三跨預(yù)應(yīng)力混凝土雙塔雙索面斜拉橋上觀賞馬嶺河峽谷大瀑布，感受到的是超級工程和超級風(fēng)景的完美融合，是自然與人共創(chuàng)的杰作，壯哉！美哉！

除此之外，貴州的世界級大橋還有：世界最大跨徑鋼桁梁斜拉橋——鴨池河大橋；世界第一高混凝土橋塔的特大橋——平塘特大橋：雙塔雙索面疊合梁斜拉橋——六廣河特大橋；世界首座非對稱混合式疊臺梁斜拉橋——紅水河大橋；單跨板桁結(jié)合加勁梁懸索橋——貴甕高速清水河大橋……

曾經(jīng)“飛鳥不通地”，如今“千山萬嶺度若飛”，貴州用了兩萬多座大橋來翻越峽谷，用高速公路來穿越險阻，在連綿的大山中建起了一片“高速平原”。這一座座橋梁不僅是串聯(lián)黔山貴水的重要紐帶，也是自然與工程結(jié)合的風(fēng)景線，更是大山的希望。

前望群山連綿，瀑布噴涌飛濺；側(cè)見云海深谷，大橋宏偉壯觀。馳騁在貴州的層巒疊嶂間，享受尖端科技的建設(shè)成果，看千山萬壑上“飛架”萬橋。它們點綴在懸崖怪石、深林山川、峽谷地縫之間，串起了青山秀水，成就了貴州“世界橋梁博物館”之名，讓曾經(jīng)飽受大山制約的山區(qū)人民和大山實現(xiàn)了聯(lián)通與共贏，也給曾經(jīng)偏遠(yuǎn)的生活帶來了前所未有的希望。

Guizhou， World Bridge Museum

While China boasts a myriad of majestic bridges， itis in Guizhou that you’ll encounter the most impressivebridges China has to offer.

Guizhou is the only provincein China devoid of plains. Its distinctgeographical environmentfeatures a terrain that slopes fromthe west to the east， with an averageelevation of roughly 1，100 meters.This unique geography makesGuizhou a province of “eightmountains， one river， and a solitarypatch of farmland”.

Guizhou is a kingdom ofmountains famous for its naturalbeauty. The ancient Chineseexplorer Xu Xiake once marveledat the sight of Guizhou，proclaiming， “Of all the mountains in the world，only here do they transform into lush forests.”While the sheer cliffs and rugged ridges bestowupon Guizhou stunning beauty， they also createsignificant transportation challenges. Historically，navigating through Guizhou has been a formidabletask in southwest China. To overcome thesechallenges， the industrious and ingenious localshave labored to carve roads into the mountains andconstruct a variety of bridges over the water bodies.Take， for example， Fuquan City. During the Mingand Qing dynasties， the city saw the construction of130 stone bridges， all of which remain standing tothis day. Among them， the Gejing Bridge， built inthe Ming Dynasty， was praised as the “crown jewel”of bridges in southwest China by Mao Yisheng， arenowned Chinese bridge expert who once presidedover a university in Fuquan.

As time unfolds， the stone bridges adorning the ancientpost routes may have lost their practical use， but they continueto symbolize the artistry of early bridge-building techniques.Some gracefully link quaint villages， while otherscross towering cli s. Having withstood the test of weatherand time， these structures have for centuries served as theveins of communication， linking lives， and preserving joyamong local people. In modern times， people have inheritedthis “bridge-building spirit” and made breakthroughsin crucial technologies used in kilometer-long suspensionbridges， large-span cable-stayed bridges， continuousrigid-frame bridges， and those utilizing high-performancesand-concrete. Over20，000 of these marvelsnow stand on thekarst plateau， turningGuizhou into a “worldbridge museum” showcasingdiverse designsand sophisticated technologies.

Currently， Guizhou is home to almost half of thetop 100 highest bridges globally， and an impressivefive of the top ten. These towering structures standas tangible testaments to the engineering mantra of“l(fā)inking the north and south with a single bridge，transforming treacherous terrains into navigablepathways”.

One such example is the “First Beipan RiverBridge”. Situated on the Hangzhou-Ruili Expressway onthe border of Guizhou and Yunnan， it stretches fromDuge Town in the north to Lalong Village in the south.This monumental structure spans 1，341.4 meters overthe Nizhu River Grand Canyon， with the bridge deckstanding 565.4 meters above the river. In 2019， it waso cially recognized by the Guinness World Records asthe “World’s Highest Bridge”. The bridge deck， designedto accommodate a two-way， four-lane expressway， representsthe pinnacle of swivel arch bridges constructedof railway steel pipe and reinforced concrete. It is alsoa cable-stayed bridge with super-long-span steel truss.Construction of this colossal structure began in 2013and took three years. On its inauguration day， mediaoutlets from China and around the globe gathered towitness the spectacle， transforming the once secludedDuge Town into a hive of activity.

To marvel at an exceptionalfeat of engineering， set yoursight on the Baling River Bridgein the mountainous area nearAnshun City. This world-classstructure stretches an impressive2，237 meters， with its mainspan reaching 1，088 metersin length and 370 meters inheight. You have the chance towalk amongst the clouds on thebridge’s viewing deck， immersingyourself in its architecturalbeauty and the stunning view ofthe mountainous landscape. The?Baling River Bridge is also a magnet for thrill-seekers，boasting the world’s highest bungee jumping platformat a breathtaking 370 meters. Adrenaline-pumpingactivities like sky swings， parachute jumping， andparagliding are also at your disposal.Within a 5-kilometer radiusof the bridge， you can explore therenowned Huangguoshu Waterfall，meander along the ancientGuansuoling post route， delve intothe secrets of the Red Cli Carvings，and relish the unique cuisine preparedby the local Buyi ethnic group.

Traveling northeast of Xingyi City， you’ll comeacross the Maling River Gorge， a natural formationetched by the mighty forces of tectonic movements.In the valley， a series of waterfalls cascade down lushbamboo canopies and interlinked caves. The two gorgewalls are peppered with ancient， uniquely shaped trees，giving the gorge the title of “the most beautiful scar onEarth”. The Maling River Bridge that spans this gorgeis a testament to human ingenuity. It is the first andthe largest three-span prestressed concrete twin-towercable-stayed bridge in Guizhou. Driving across thebridge in the early morning is akin to entering a mythicalrealm. From here， you can admire the dramaticwaterfalls of the Maling River Gorge and experience?the harmonious blend of engineering marvel and aweinspiringnature. Truly， it’s a masterpiece co-created bynature and humans.

Other world-class bridges in Guizhou include theYachi River Bridge， the world’s largest-span steel trusscable-stayed bridge; the Pingtang Bridge， which boaststhe world’s tallest concrete bridge towers; the LiuguangRiver Bridge， an intricate double-tower， doublecable-plane composite beam cable-stayed bridge; theHongshui River Bridge， the world’s tallrst asymmetricalhybrid composite beam cable-stayed bridge; andthe Qingshui River Bridge on the Guiyang-Weng’anExpressway， a unique suspension bridge featuring asingle-span plate truss with a stiffening girder.

The challenging topography of the region once madetravel a daunting endeavor. Today， a journey acrossGuizhou feels as though you can easily traverse a thousandmountains and valleys. The province has constructed morethan 20，000 large bridges， soaring across the deep gorgesand highways that defy the obstacles of the rugged terrain.The result is a metaphorical “high-speed plain” carved intothe sprawling mountains. These bridges serve not just ascritical conduits across Guizhou’s mountains and rivers， butalso as architectural gems that harmonize beautifully withthe natural landscape， infusing life into the mountains.

As you travel in Guizhou， endless mountains stretchinto the horizon， with waterfalls cascading down theirsides. Deep valleys are shrouded in a sea of clouds， withawe-inspiring bridges towering over them. Driving throughthe undulating mountains of Guizhou， one gets to marvelat the feats of modern engineering while witnessingnumerous bridges “swooping” across countless peaks andvalleys. These structures embellish the cliffs， unique rockformations， dense forests， and ssures of gorges， seamlesslyconnecting the scenic mountains and rivers. This hasmade Guizhou the “World Bridge Museum”. The bridgeshave brought not just connectivity， but also immeasurablebenefits to the residents of these mountainous regions，surmounting the limitations set by the terrain and o eringnewfound hope to the once isolated communities.