Yichang section of Yilai Expressway set for completion this year
2025-04-19 19:04:55
By Yan Wanqin.
Construction of the Yichang section of the Yidu-Laifeng Expressway is set for completion by the end of this year.
On April 16, workers were busy assembling bridge deck panels for the Chaibuxi Bridge, which includes 83 sections of steel-concrete composite beams,80 of which are already finished.
Construction of the Yichang section of the Yidu-Laifeng Expressway is set for completion by the end of this year.
On April 16, workers were busy assembling bridge deck panels for the Chaibuxi Bridge, which includes 83 sections of steel-concrete composite beams,80 of which are already finished.
Construction site of the Chaibuxi Bridge on the Yichang section of the Yidu-Laifeng Expressway.
Chief engineer Xia Yaming said, "We are currently focusing on lifting the steel beams and installing the cable stay. After that, the bridge deck will be laid and poured. It takes about 15 days to complete one section."
The Chaibuxi Bridge, a key piece of infrastructure on the Yilai Expressway, will be the world’s widest cable-stayed bridge, featuring I-shaped steel composite girders. Spanning 904 meters and rising nearly 300 meters above the valley, the bridge is expected to be fully closed by the end of May.
Nearby, the Yueshan Tunnel was completed in February, with renovation work set to finish by the end of September as contractors increase resources to expedite progress.
The Yilai Expressway stretches 187.7 kilometers between Yidu in Yichang and Laifeng County in Enshi, with the Yichang section covering 92 kilometers. This section includes bridges and tunnels that account for about 73 percent of its length.
Once completed, travel time between Enshi and Yichang will be reduced to just two hours, benefiting around 300,000 residents along the route.
Currently, over 91 percent of this section is complete as the project moves into its final stages.
Ma Lin, Tanyang Chenlei contributed to this story.
