Potain Topless Cranes Build World-Record Yangtze River Bridge

Once complete, the Shituo Yangtze River Bridge will set four world records thanks to its innovative design.

It will become a landmark structure on the Chongqing-Wanzhou High-Speed Railway and its engineering records include: the tallest twin-connected towers on a bridge; the world's first twin-tower cable-stayed bridge carrying road and rail traffic; the first split main-beam bridge at the same deck level; and the world's longest span for a road-rail cable-stayed bridge with a split main span.

Two Potain MCT 560 M25 topless tower cranes are helping construct the landmark bridge's 253 m-tall south tower. Their high lifting capacity, long working radius, and exceptional climbing performance are helping keep the ambitious 30-month construction schedule on track.

Lifting Performance Enables Jobsite Efficiency

Working above the Yangtze River, the cranes are handling steel reinforcement, formwork and other large components. The Potain MCT 560 M25 is designed for demanding infrastructure tasks and high working heights, which allowed the cranes on the Shituo Yangtze River Bridge to climb seamlessly with the bridge as construction progresses, minimizing disruption and keeping the project on schedule. Backing up the cranes' excellent on site performance is Manitowoc's customer support center in Zhangjiagang and its national network of technicians providing rapid parts and maintenance assistance whenever needed.

The Potain MCT 560 M25 offers a maximum capacity of 25 t and can lift 4 t at the tip of its 80 m jib. On the Shituo Yangtze River Bridge, the cranes' leading-edge engineering and world-class build quality also help manage the adverse conditions, with wind speeds of up to 20 m/s.

"The Potain MCT 560 M25 delivers outstanding performance at height, climbing to over 200 m with a 25 t maximum capacity," said Leo Qian, marketing manager for Manitowoc China. "These characteristics make it well suited to the demands of high-altitude operations and heavy component handling on the Shituo Yangtze River Bridge, providing reliable performance to complete this demanding project."

The two Potain MCT 560 M25 cranes belong to Chongqing Haohai Construction Equipment Leasing, which purchased them in 2020. Before being deployed to the Shituo Yangtze River Bridge project, the cranes established a proven track record on the Taiziping Wujiang River Bridge project, where they operated continuously from 2020 through 2024.

"We believed that the cranes would be particularly well suited to the Shituo Yangtze River Bridge because of their high working height and their ability to continue climbing beyond 200 m," said Jin Zhongxue, general manager, Chongqing Haohai Construction Equipment. "They also offer an impressive lifting capacity and deliver reliable performance in challenging conditions."

The Shituo Yangtze River Bridge is expected to open at the end of 2026.