Jianzha Yellow River Bridge

The Jianzha Yellow River Bridge (尖扎黄河特大桥) is an under-construction steel railway bridge of the Sichuan–Qinghai railway across the Yellow River located on the border of Jianzha county, Huangnan prefecture and Hualong county, Haidong city, both in Qinghai, China.^[1]

Jianzha Yellow River Bridge 尖扎黄河特大桥
Coordinates	35°54′30″N 102°3′26″E
Carries	Sichuan–Qinghai railway
Crosses	Yellow River
Locale	Border of Jianzha county, Huangnan prefecture and Hualong county, Haidong city, Qinghai, China
Characteristics
Design	Continuous truss arch bridge
Material	Steel
Total length	649.6 m
Width	14 m
Longest span	366 m
No. of spans	3
Rail characteristics
No. of tracks	2
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Electrified	25 kV AC
History
Engineering design by	China Railway First Survey and Design Institute Group
Constructed by	China Railway Major Bridge Engineering Group
Construction start	2023
Location

The bridge is to be 1,596.2 m (5,237 ft) long, with a span of 366 m (1,201 ft).^[2]

The bridge is being constructed by China Railway Major Bridge Engineering Group [zh], and was scheduled to be completed by the end of August 2025.^[2]

When completed, it will be China's first railway continuous truss arch bridge across the Yellow River and the world's largest double-track continuous steel truss arch bridge.^[1]

Construction

On December 2, 2023, all the foundation of the main pier of the bridge was poured, marking the formal start of the construction of the upper part of the bridge.^[3]

Collapse

A CCTV still of the collapse

At around 3:10 a.m. local time on August 22, 2025, a steel cable broke during construction of the bridge, causing the middle of the bridge's arch section to collapse. There were 15 workers and a project manager working at the time of the collapse. Twelve people were killed and another four were reported missing.^[4][5][6] Rescue efforts involved 806 personnel supported by 91 vehicles, 27 boats, one helicopter and five robots. Six local hospitals opened green channels to carry out medical treatment.^[7] An investigation team composed of four specialized units that focus on coordination, technical analysis, management review, and rescue evaluation was established by the Qinghai government. The Office of the Work Safety Commission set up a working group with related authorities to guide the investigation into the accident. A report on the causes and responsibilities of the accident, as well as recommendations for disciplinary and legal actions will be released promptly.^[8]