Potain tower crane pair climbs record-setting Yangtze bridge

Four records on one crossing

The Shituo Yangtze River Bridge is a key structure on the Chongqing–Wanzhou high-speed railway and will carry both road and rail traffic. According to Manitowoc, the design will set four world records: the tallest twin-connected bridge towers, the first twin-tower cable-stayed bridge carrying road and rail, the first split main-beam bridge at the same deck level, and the longest span of any road-rail cable-stayed bridge with a split main span.

On the south tower, the two topless Potain units are lifting steel reinforcement, formwork and other large components at working heights of around 285 m above the water, where wind speeds can reach 20 m/s. The internal climbing arrangement lets the cranes rise with the tower as concreting progresses, helping to hold the ambitious 30-month construction programme.

25 tonnes at nearly 300 m

The MCT 560 M25 is the strongest topless Potain sold in China, with a 25-tonne maximum capacity and a 4-tonne tip load on its 80 m jib. Manitowoc’s customer support centre in Zhangjiagang and a national technician network back the cranes with parts and maintenance support.

“The Potain MCT 560 M25 delivers outstanding performance at height, climbing to over 200 m with a 25 t maximum capacity. These characteristics make it well suited to the demands of high-altitude operations and heavy component handling on the Shituo Yangtze River Bridge.”

— Leo Qian, marketing manager, Manitowoc China

Proven on an earlier river crossing

Both cranes belong to rental house Chongqing Haohai Construction Equipment Leasing, which bought them in 2020 and ran them continuously on the Taiziping Wujiang River Bridge until 2024 before moving them to the Shituo site.

“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. They also offer an impressive lifting capacity and deliver reliable performance in challenging conditions.”

— Jin Zhongxue, general manager, Chongqing Haohai Construction Equipment

The bridge is expected to open at the end of 2026.