A Potain MCT 385 topless tower crane has concluded its contribution to the world's tallest bridge, the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in Guizhou, southwestern China.
With a vertical clearance of 2,050 ft. from the bridge deck to the river surface, the new structure is well over twice the height of France's Millau Viaduct and will reduce travel time from Liuzhi to Anlong from 3 hours to just 1.5 hours.
Owned and operated by Guizhou ShengYongSheng, the crane arrived on site in late 2023, where it was configured with the full 246-ft. jib on behalf of main contractors Guizhou Bridge Construction Group. As the core lifting equipment for the project, the crane soon began handling loads of up to 22 tons for critical tasks such as pylon construction and steel truss girder installation over a main span of 4,659 ft. and a total length of 9,482 ft.
On the sheer cliffs and inhospitable terrain of the local landscape, the MCT 385 worked in tandem with the world's longest-span cable crane system, covering areas unreachable by conventional fixed cranes and significantly accelerating construction while providing stability and efficiency in the extreme conditions.
"This canyon was once a construction ‘no-go zone', but the MCT 385 has reaffirmed Potain's position as a manufacturer and strategic partner capable of delivering technological breakthroughs," said Ling Qian, marketing manager — China, Manitowoc. "This project shows China's ongoing commitment to ambitious infrastructure development and highlights the role global, high-end equipment can play in delivering these mega-projects. At Potain we want to drive innovation, turning projects that were previously impossible into reality."
ShengYongSheng's MCT 385 has enjoyed a decade of use on other projects in the region, including the Guiyang Twin Towers Project and the Xifeng Industrial Standardized Plant Project.
For more information, visit www.manitowoc.com/potain/top-slewing-cranes-asia/mct-385.
This story also appears on Crane Equipment Guide.
