On April 15, the lower tower pier of the No. 3 main tower of the Niulanjiang Grand Bridge on the Zhaotong Ludian-Qiaojia Expressway (hereinafter referred to as: Lu-Qiao Expressway), general-contracted by Yunnan Construction and Investment Holding Group and constructed by the Eighth Company of China Railway Major Bridge Engineering Group, was successfully completed, marking a phased achievement in the bridge's construction.

　　As a controlling project of the Lu-Qiao Expressway, the Niulanjiang Grand Bridge spans the Niulan River valley. The bridge site is located approximately 700 m upstream of the Niulan River from Tianshengqiao, with the rear bank connecting to the Guangming Tunnel and the forward bank connecting to the Xinping Tunnel. It crosses the Niulan River valley with a composite girder cable-stayed bridge featuring a 370-meter main span, and the total bridge length is 822 meters.

　　The area where the bridge's cable towers are located has poor natural conditions: dry and windy in winter and spring, and rainy in summer and autumn. The timed maximum wind speed at the bridge site is 28 m/s, and the huge temperature difference between day and night also brings considerable difficulties to construction. In addition, tower pier construction involves working at height, posing enormous safety risks. To ensure the successful capping of the lower tower pier of the No. 3 main tower, the project department carried out detailed optimization of technical plans and construction briefings before construction, refined work processes to ensure responsibilities were assigned to individuals, optimized resource allocation, and strengthened the coordinated scheduling of personnel, materials, and machinery. For key areas and key parts, all safety production measures were strictly and meticulously implemented, safety control was well managed, and construction production was steadily advanced.

　　It is reported that the Lu-Qiao Expressway is located in the northeastern Yunnan region. The project route starts in Ludian County, Zhaotong City, connecting to the Duyun-Shangri-La Expressway of the National Expressway Network (G7611), and ends in Qiaojia County, Zhaotong City, connecting to the Gele-Qiaojia section of the Kunming-Qiaojia Expressway (S23) of the Yunnan Provincial Expressway Network. It is not only the most convenient channel linking Zhaoyang District, Ludian County, and Qiaojia County of Zhaotong City, but also an important carrier for building a comprehensive transportation network in the northeastern Yunnan region and actively integrating into and serving the national development strategy of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. It is of great significance to promoting economic and social development along the project route.