Lixinsha Bridge

Lixinsha Bridge, also known as Lixindao Bridge, Sanmin Island Bridge, or Hongqili Second Bridge. Located in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, the bridge connects Sanmin Island, one of the smaller islands along the Hongqili Waterway to the Jiuyong and the rest of the urban area.^[1] As the only land bridge connecting Sanmin Island, it carries the island's only water supply pipeline.^[2][3]

Lixinsha Bridge 沥心沙大桥
Aerial view of Lixinsha Bridge
Coordinates	22°39′7″N 113°33′26″E
Carried	2 lanes of Lixinsha Road and water supply to Sanmin Island
Crossed	Hongqili Waterway (part of the Pearl River Delta)
Characteristics
Total length	787 meters
Width	9.8 meters
History
Opened	April 1994 22 June 2024 (rebuild)
Collapsed	22 February 2024
Location

The bridge is 787 meters long, 9.8 meters wide. The bridge is designed as a single carriageway and has no pedestrian walkway. It also has a main and two secondary navigation holes for watercrafts to pass through.^[4][3]

History

The bridge was completed in April 1994 and was opened to vehicular traffic.^[4][5]

In 2009, the bridge was reinforced, increasing its load capacity.^[6] In 2019, due to the discovery of severe deterioration in its structure, after inspection, the bridge was classified as a Category 4 bridge.^{[note 1]} The governing authorities of Nansha District then restricted the usage of the bridge to vehicles weighing less than 15 tonnes as a temporary measure.^[8][9] After rectification and reinforcement works in 2020, the bridge was reinspected and given a Category 2 rating, and vehicles weighing less than 20 tonnes could now be used on the bridge.^[10]

In October 2021, after an assessment of water navigation conditions around the bridge and the nearby Gaoxinsha Bridge, decided to add anti-collision measures to the bridges.^[11][12] The construction of the additional anti collision measures were completed in December 2022.^[13]

Collision incident

Main article: 2024 Lixinsha Bridge collapse

On February 22, 2024, at about 5:30 am local time, a cargo barge collided into a bridge pier, causing a portion of the deck of the bridge to fracture and fall into the waters below.^[14]

On May 23, 2024，the repair works on the bridge was completed.^[15] On June 12, the bridge was certified for use.^[16] The bridge was reopened to traffic on June 22, 10 a.m.^[17]

Notes

1. Highway bridges are classified into 5 categories in China by authorities according to their prevailing conditions, with Category 1 being the best rating category, and Category 5 being the worst rating category.^[7]