China-Laos railway achieves tech breakthrough

Engineers finish work on 18 steel truss complexes of major bridge on BRI route

The Yuanjiang Railway Bridge, which has the tallest bridge pier in the world and the longest span between two piers, and is part of the Chinese section of the 925.5-kilometer China-Laos railway, has got a major boost after builders finished installing 18 out of the 56 steel truss complexes forming the bridge.

The 832.2-meter-long railway bridge, which spans the Yuanjiang River with four piers in between and two platforms at both ends, is considered one of the difficult projects on the China-Laos railway, a major undertaking in the Belt and Road Initiative.