First Bridge over the Yangtze River
Yangtze River Bridge in WuhanFor hundreds of years,it had been a dream to cross the natural moat of the Yangtze River.
In 1913,Zhan Tianyou,one of China's well----known railway engineers,visited Wuhan and studied the possibility of the construction of the Yangtze River Bridge.The bridge was decided to be built between the Tortoise Hill in Hanyang and the Snake Hill in Wuchang.Unfortunately,his dream could not come true.Again,six years later,Dr.Sun Yat-sen put forward a proposal to build a Yangtze River Bridge in Wuhan.Then Nanjing Government invited American experts and made a draft plan.Mao Yisheng,a bridge expert,organized for two designs and the construction was about to begin.But because of war and lack of money,no one was able to have the bridge built.
After the founding of New China,the central government decided to build the Yangtze River Bridge in Wuhan in 1950.Five years later,news came that the construction would soon begin and it became the focus of world attention.However ,more overseas people were half believing and half doubting.Within two years,the Chinese engineers,technicians and workers,with the help of the Soviet experts,completed a double----deck bridge for the dual use of automobiles and trains.The wish of "turning a deep chasm into a thoroughfare" was fulfilled.
On October 15,1957,thousands of people in Wuhan were overexcited.Cheering sound could be heard on and under the bridge.Trains,automobiles and pedestrians safely crossed the bridge.
More than 30 years have passed.The Wuhan Bridge Bureau of the Railway Ministry has built other ten bridges over the Yangtze River in Nanjing,Chongqing,Zhijiang and Jiujiang.Another highway bridge 2.5 kilometers down to "the First Bridge" will be finished and put into use at the beginning of 1995.
