Lupu Bridge

The name of the bridge, Lupu, is an abbreviation of the two districts of Shanghai which it links, one of which is now defunct. The north bank of the river administered by Luwan District until 2011, when it was merged into Huangpu District. However, the bridge still retains the name of the old district. The south bank of the river is administered by Pudong New Area. This follows the naming convention of the three earlier bridges across the Huangpu River, namely the Nanpu (Nanshi-Pudong), Yangpu (Yangpu-Pudong), and Xupu (Xuhui-Pudong) Bridges.

The bridge was envisioned to ease congestion between the quickly developing areas in southern Puxi, as well as to help cope with the traffic expected for Expo 2010. The Expo 2010 site was just to the east of the Lupu Bridge on the Puxi side, and on both sides of the bridge on the Pudong side.

Construction began in October 2000 using a cantilever method and temporary cable-stays. Over 35,000 tonnes of steel were used in construction. The bridge's arch was joined on October 7, 2002.[http://www.arch-bridges.cn/paper2010/pdf/2-Recent%20development%20of%20arch%20bridges%20in%20China.pdf Recent development of arch bridges in China] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004052210/http://www.arch-bridges.cn/paper2010/pdf/2-Recent%20development%20of%20arch%20bridges%20in%20China.pdf |date=2011-10-04 }}

When the bridge was completed, it became the world's longest arch bridge, surpassing the earlier title holder, the New River Gorge Bridge in Fayetteville, West Virginia. An inauguration ceremony was held on June 27, 2003, featuring a group of runners, including Yao Ming, who were the first to cross the bridge.[http://www.yaomingmania.com/03_06_28_bridge.html Lupu Bridge Opens - 6/27/03] The bridge opened to vehicular traffic the next day.

In 2009, Lupu Bridge lost its title of the world's longest arch bridge to the Chaotianmen Bridge in Chongqing.[http://news.cultural-china.com/20090430100912.html Chongqing completes world's longest arch bridge] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708213230/http://news.cultural-china.com/20090430100912.html |date=2011-07-08 }} The longest span of the Chaotianmen Bridge was only {{convert|2|m|ft|0}} longer, at {{convert|552|m|ft|0}}.{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20110722144148/http://koti.kontu.la/jvirola/ria-chaotianmen.pdf Chaotianmen Bridge]}}

File:Lupu Bridge from Expo.jpg during Expo 2010.]]

The Lupu Bridge was one of the architectural centerpieces of Expo 2010 in Shanghai, as it formed part of the western boundary of the Expo site.

The bridge carries 6 lanes of the North–South Elevated Road, a major elevated roadway in the city, with 3 lanes in each direction.[http://www.iabse.org/association/awards/ostrac/Lupu.php The Lupu Bridge, Shanghai, China] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110613082145/http://www.iabse.org/association/awards/ostrac/Lupu.php |date=2011-06-13 }} From Pudong, motorists can access the Lupu Bridge from on-ramps to the North–South Elevated Road westbound on Yaohua Road or northbound on Jiyang Road. The North–South Elevated Road actually ends immediately after the Lupu Bridge and becomes Jiyang Road, with an off-ramp to eastbound Yaohua Road.[http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=Jiyang+Road+and+Yaohua+Road,+Shanghai,+China&hl=en&ll=31.169996,121.480165&spn=0.009749,0.021136&sll=46.579977,9.537993&sspn=16.037424,43.286133&z=16 Google Maps - Yao Hua Lu Ji Yang Lu China]

On the Puxi side immediately north of the bridge, the North–South Elevated Road intersects with the Inner Ring Road, another major elevated highway in Shanghai, forming the Luban Road Interchange, a roundabout interchange.[http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=Luban+Road+Motorway+Interchange,+Shanghai,+China&hl=en&ll=31.196339,121.47804&spn=0.009746,0.021136&sll=31.19755,121.481302&sspn=0.009746,0.021136&z=16 Google Maps - Shanghai Lu Wan Qu Lu Ban Lu Li Jiao]

The construction of an arch bridge was viewed as wasteful in respect to the extra costs associated with building this type of bridge. Other designs which were less expensive in nature were rejected in favour of the more expensive tied arch design. Lupu Bridge became the first arch bridge across the Huangpu River in Shanghai and many feel its design is just a show piece for the city.

But the bridge's proponents argued that all the other bridges crossing the Huangpu were all cable-stayed bridges and having Lupu built as an arch bridge would make for variation of bridge types in the Shanghai landscape.

File:Bus over Bridge.jpg

The Lupu Bridge used to be a popular tourist attraction along the Huangpu River. The bridge itself was actually also an attraction, as tourists could ascend to the observation deck at the top of the bridge. The attraction was known as Shanghai Climb, and involved riding a high-speed elevator from the base of the bridge, and then climbing 367 steps at high altitude along the arch of the bridge to the top. The attraction entrance was located on Luban Road, at the base of the Puxi side of the bridge.[http://www.lupubridge.com/index.php/en Shanghai Climb] The observation area provides great views of Shanghai and the Expo 2010 site during the Expo. Currently (as of 03.05.2016) the bridge is closed for sightseeing.

The closest subway station currently in operation to the base of the bridge for the tourist attraction is the Luban Road Station on Line 4 of the Shanghai Metro. Lupu Bridge Station on Line 13, Shanghai Metro is actually named after the bridge itself, however it was a temporary station used during Expo 2010 and is currently not in operation.[http://www.exploremetro.com/blog/shanghai-metro-line-13-more-than-just-the-expo Shanghai Metro Line 13: More than just the Expo]

The Lupu Arch Bridge, Shanghai, China, received the 2008 IABSE Outstanding Structure Award{{Cite web |url=http://www.iabse.org/press/pdf2008/PR.ostra.Lupu_bridge.080506.sn.pdf |title=International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering Press Release |access-date=2011-03-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728180100/http://www.iabse.org/press/pdf2008/PR.ostra.Lupu_bridge.080506.sn.pdf |archive-date=2011-07-28 |url-status=dead }} for being "A soaring box-arch bridge with a record span, clean impressive lines and innovative use of the side spans of the arch and the deck to resist the thrust of the main arch."

{{Commons category}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20060316052141/http://www.chinapage.com/bridge/shanghai/lupu/lupu.html Shanghai Lupu] - Chinese bridge site showing suspended deck arch construction and completion
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090622171330/http://www.lupubridge.com/lp/about_en.php Shanghai Climb] - Information about climbing the Lupu Bridge.

{{Portal|Transport|Engineering}}

{{reflist}}

{{LongestBridge

| type = arch

| start = 2003

| end = 2009

| previous = New River Gorge Bridge

| current = Lupu Bridge

| next = Chaotianmen Bridge

}}

{{Crossings navbox

|structure=Crossings

|place=Huangpu River

|bridge=Lupu Bridge

|bridge signs=

|upstream=Dapu Road Tunnel

|upstream signs=

|downstream=Tunnel of Line 13, Shanghai Metro

|downstream signs=10px

}}

{{Shanghai Bridges and Tunnels}}

Category:Through arch bridges in China

Category:Arch bridges in China

Category:Bridges in Shanghai

Category:Transport in Shanghai

Category:Bridges completed in 2003

Category:2003 establishments in Shanghai