The Guchuan Bridge () is a
bridge
A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...
connecting
Sandimen Township and
Wutai Township in
Pingtung County
Pingtung () is a County (Taiwan), county located in southern Taiwan. It has a warm tropical monsoon climate and is known for its agriculture and tourism. Kenting National Park, Taiwan's oldest national park, is located in the county. The county ...
,
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
. At the height of 99 meters, it is the tallest bridge pier in Taiwan.
History
The bridge was opened for traffic on 5 October 2013 after four years of construction with a total cost of NT$700 million. The bridge was built to replace the original bridge named Wutai No. 1 Bridge which was destroyed by
Typhoon Morakot in August 2009.
Technical specification
The bridge has a length of 654 meters and width of 10 meters, and is made of concrete and steel. It crosses over the North
Ailiao River. To avoid damage by
flash flood
A flash flood is a rapid flooding of low-lying areas: washes, rivers, dry lakes and depressions. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a severe thunderstorm, hurricane, or tropical storm, or by meltwater from ice and snow. Flash f ...
along the river during typhoon season, there is only one pier built in the path of continuous river flow.
Economy
The bridge plays a significant role in the economic activity of Wutai Township which is located in an isolated mountain region in southern Taiwan. Tourists have been coming to the township through the bridge which led to the opening of several new hotels.
See also
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List of bridges in Taiwan
References
{{commons category
2013 establishments in Taiwan
Bridges completed in 2013
Bridges in Pingtung County